A business associate recently asked if my address could be added to his Christmas card list. Since he's Jewish, I made a note to send him a Hanukkah card, and the thought occurred to me: For a country founded on the principle that people should be free to worship (or not) as they wish, why is there such an uproar when people do exactly that?

How about if we consider holiday greetings an extension of the golden rule and not only do unto others, but wish unto others what we would wish for ourselves? If I wished someone a Merry Christmas and in turn the person wished me a Happy Hanukkah, or a Happy Kwanzaa, that simple exchange of four words could become a very powerful message of diversity and acceptance.

D.A. GREEN, MINNEAPOLIS