I believe in supporting local business, and I am not necessarily recommending a boycott, but for the second year I have noticed that our local Briarwood Mall has an obvious aversion to the true spirit of Christmas.
You walk into the mall and what do you see — very few decorations, or other noticeable decor of the holiday season. The mall wants your business and delights in your every purchase, but the mall proper is as empty of the Christmas season as can possibly be. Yes, there is a children's area at one far corner of the mall. Yes, there is a Christmas tree, or maybe two, and a few poinsettias.
But there is a terrible absence of the beautiful decorations that often fill other shopping malls. I have expressed my displeasure now two years in a row, with no response from the Briarwood Mall management. Hopefully their decision to ban Christmas is not due to a "this is Ann Arbor multi-cultural" bias, and I would doubt it is a financial decision.
I would encourage others to express their opinion and to ask to bring Christmas back to the mall. Stop by the guest relations desk in the center of the mall and fill out a comment card. Or call the mall office. Christmas is certainly not about the decorations or the shopping, but such a blatant omission sends a message that the mall management wants your business but does not want your religion.
Douglas O. Keasal
Ypsilanti