Silent
night, Holy night
All is calm, All is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
Announcer's
voiceover, from "7 O'clock News/Silent Night," 1966, by Simon &
Garfunkel:
"This is
the early evening edition of the news.
The
recent fight in the House of Representatives was over the open
housing section of the Civil Rights Bill ... A compromise was
painfully worked out ...
"Dr.
Martin Luther King says he does not intend to cancel plans for an
open housing march Sunday into the Chicago suburb of Cicero ...
police said they would ask the National Guard to be called out if it
is held.
In
Chicago, Richard Speck, accused murderer of nine student nurses, was
brought before a grand jury today for indictment ...
"In
Washington, the atmosphere was tense today as a special subcommittee
of the House Committee on Un-American activities continued its probe
into anti-Vietnam war protests. Demonstrators were forcibly evicted
from the hearings when they began chanting anti-war slogans. Former
Vice President Richard Nixon says that unless there is a substantial
increase in the present war effort in Vietnam, the U.S. should look
forward to five more years of war.
"In a
speech before the convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in New
York, Nixon also said opposition to the war in this country is the
greatest single weapon working against the U.S.
"That's
the 7 o'clock edition of the news. Good night."
Silent
night, Holy night, all is calm, all is bright.
Imagined
announcer's voiceover, December 2009:
"This is the
early evening edition of the news.
The present
fight in Congress is over the proposed health-insurance bill, which
Democrats say will save lives and Republicans argue is a government
takeover of American health care. The Senate will be required to work
Christmas Eve, away from their families, if Republicans don't give in.
"Pro-life
and pro-choice activists are both protesting language relating to
taxpayer-funded abortions. The National Guard is busy fighting two wars.
Murderers are still being indicted for killing strangers, neighbors,
estranged girlfriends and wives, even their own children.
"Around the
world, terrorist bombers, dictators, political prisoners, genocide ...
Liberals who
voted for President Obama, and some conservatives and libertarians who
didn't, are upset over the continuing war in Iraq and his proposed
acceleration of the war in Afghanistan.
"That's the
7 o'clock edition of the news. Good night."
Silent
night, Holy night
And if there
had been broadcast news at the junction of B.C. and A.D.:
"I bring you
good news of great joy ... for today a child is born in Bethlehem in
Judea ...
"Rome, under
Octavian, is making Judea a Roman province. King Herod has murdered
members of his own family and many rabbis, and hearing a rumor of
another king being born in Bethlehem, has ordered all boys from that
town under 2 years of age to be killed.
"The baby
Jesus has escaped with his parents to Egypt, also a Roman province since
Marc Antony and Cleopatra were defeated by Octavian and committed
suicide.
"Three Roman
legions under Publius Quinctilius Varus were destroyed in the Battle of
the Teutoburg Forest by an alliance of Germanic tribes.
"Around the
world: terror, war, slavery, famine, disease ..."
Historical
perspective, 2009:
The battle
of the Teutoburg Forest began a seven-year war, which established the
Rhine as the boundary of the Roman Empire for the next 400 years, until
the decline of the Roman influence in the West. The Roman Empire made no
further concerted attempts to conquer Germania beyond the Rhine.
Unfortunately, the Germans and Italians joined forces in 1940 and
started World War II. Jews were again slaughtered, this time by the
Germans.
On the "all
is bright" side, America prevailed, Israel became an independent Jewish
state, and Germany, Italy, and Japan became our allies. A later Cold War
with the Soviet Union, which many feared would lead to nuclear
annihilation, ended.
Martin
Luther King's dream of racial equality came true, even to the election
of an American president who is black on his father's side.
Richard
Speck died in prison. Many other murderers have been caught and punished
by the police and our judicial system. Both here and around the world,
human beings strive for justice.
President
Nixon and Congress repealed the draft after the Vietnam War. While this
repeal has led to overdeployment of the National Guard, it should also
limit American involvement in other foreign wars.
Very few
people are saying resistance to the present wars is un-American, though
most Americans do support the troops and are sending Christmas packages
overseas.
Many
diseases have been controlled and scientists are working on the others.
The average human life span has increased. Many organizations battle
terror, slavery, famine; many generous individuals contribute to these
efforts.
The dream of
peace is still represented, this time of year, by the celebration of
Christmas in many countries around the world.
Silent
night, Holy night.
Merry
Christmas to all men of goodwill who dream of peace, fight for freedom
and continue to work for a better world.