By Laura Jackson
A few weeks ago, my friend and I were talking about the Christmas season. Specifically, how it seems to soften people. She said something I’ve heard many times before: that people are simply kinder around Christmas.
Maybe I have a more “bah-humbug” way of looking at the world, but I pushed back. I told her I wasn’t sure people were actually more kind. Maybe they just do more this time of year because they’re asked to by churches, charities, bell ringers outside grocery stores, or traditions they’ve grown up with. I wasn’t convinced hearts were changing. It felt more like a habit than a transformation.
But what if she’s right?
What if, even briefly, this season reminds us to pause before reacting, to see people as people, and to act with a little more care than we otherwise might? If that’s true, then now, of all times, is the moment to ask more of ourselves as our community wrestles with difficult, emotional issues like immigration policy.
Right now, fear is shaping daily life for many families in our community. Our neighbors are staying home, not because they don’t want to go about their daily life and earn a living, but because they’re afraid of how the 287(g) task force model of immigration enforcement may be implemented locally. Whether you support or oppose that policy, the reality is that uncertainty and anxiety are having real consequences. Parents are worried about leaving their homes, meaning some children aren’t making it to school. And business owners, many of whom rely on these workers, are feeling the ripple effects, as are consumers who are experiencing limited services and expanded wait times.
This isn’t theoretical. It’s happening in real time, to real people, across our community.
At the same time, emotions around this issue have spilled into public spaces in ways that should concern all of us. Recently, protests over the 287(g) task force policy included obscene language on signs and shouted in a public park—a place meant for families, for kids playing on swings, for parents who shouldn’t have to explain profanity or hatred during an afternoon outing. Passion does not excuse ugliness. And volume is not a substitute for decency.
We can hold strong opinions. We can advocate fiercely for policies we believe are right. And we can do it with respect, even in disagreement, because civility is possible. Civility isn’t weakness; it’s the baseline that allows our community to coexist, debate, and move forward together.
Take this moment to reflect, and let’s all hold ourselves to a higher standard. If not because it’s the right thing to do, then because the next generation is watching, and the example we set today shapes the leaders and neighbors of our future. And if nothing else, let’s prove my friend’s point: that we’re all a little kinder around Christmas.
This op-ed was written by Laura Jackson, Pd.D., and originally published by Tyler Morning Telegraph.
Laura Jackson is a partner at CWJ Strategies and is a seasoned strategist with over 15 years of experience leading major, multi-million dollar strategic communication efforts in the business, political, and education sectors.