Regarding Valarie Gengel's letter (Nov. 19): I sincerely doubt anyone would suggest the "Africans in Africa" should stop celebrating Kwanzaa, as it is an African-American celebration.
That's rather the point, isn't it? The United States, while predominantly Christian, is not a Christian nation. Recall the "history" of Thanksgiving - Pilgrims fleeing to a new land in search of freedom to practice their religion without government interference. While only a pittance, Bonanzaville does receive some government funding. Has anyone considered that the decision to rename the event in generic holiday terms has less to do with revisionist history or political correctness and more to do with simply not wanting to be sued?
More critically, in this holiday season, it would be a shame for people to allow a treasure like Bonanzaville to suffer merely because they disagree with its leadership. Make your opinions clear to the board by joining the historical society and voting on its operation. Threatening to stop visiting Bonanzaville does nothing to bring about changes in the society's operation; it just guarantees that a financially struggling local treasure will be lost altogether.
Kathleen Curtis
St. Paul
