Banning Bows and Bells

Am I the only person who finds this very disturbing?

The University of Minnesota, where my nephew is a freshman, recently published a letter noting that:the following are forbidden:

• the colors red and green (too reflective of Christmas)
• the colors blue and white/silver (too reflective of Hanukkah)
• Santa Claus
• angels
• Christmas trees
• star of Bethlehem
• nativity scenes
• dreidels
• bows
• wrapped gifts
• menorahs
• bells
• doves

These items are forbidden because "they typically reflect specific religious iconography." This letter was supposedly written in the name of 'diversity' and 'inclusivity.' I know that things have changed a great deal since I was kid, but really? Since when does forbidding  customs practiced by millions of American Christians, Jews and non-religious people make it 'inclusive'? When I was in elementary school, we had a Christmas party every year. It wasn't a 'holiday party' or a 'winter party.' It was a Christmas party, and it included Christmas songs, cookies and perhaps a play about the birth of Christ.. 

There were two kids in my class, Miriam and Harry, who were Jewish. Miriam was the daughter of my piano teacher. During our Christmas party, Miriam and Harry would occupy themselves with something, I have no idea what. I'm sure they shared in the cookies. Their parents were educated professionals (Miriam's mother was a piano and violin teacher, and her father was a dentist).To my knowledge, nobody ever complained about being left out. One of my teachers explained to the class that Miriam and Harry didn't celebrate Christmas. That was it. No explanations other than that were needed. Nobody complained. My parents never discussed how unfair it was to those two kids that a Christmas party was held during school time and they didn't participate.

Apparently the University of Minnesota isn't the only college to ban references to Christmas and Hanukkah. I wonder what would happen if a student dared to wear a sweater with a snowman or Christmas tree on it?

I'm all for 'inclusivity,' but haven't we gone just a bit overboard in our drive to foster diversity and 'inclusivity'? Have we become so politically correct that we now need to ban certain colors or wrapped packages? Is it necessary to deprive a large group of people of its customs in order to include everybody else? Why not let each group celebrate its customs as it chooses? If Hindus wish to celebrate Diwali (the festival of lights), will they be forbidden to do so on campus? If pagans or Druids wish to celebrate Mother Earth or worship the spirits in nature, will that, too, be forbidden?