"The choice between a fresh-cut tree and a synthetic one is a choice between two ideas of Christmas. One is living, innately imperfect and genuine. The other is precise and mass-produced, but empty of the warmth and story that made our cultural habit so meaningful in the first place."
"To many of us, however, Kirk is not a martyr. He was just one of many conservative figures who spent their lives spewing a divisive and hateful message. As tragic as his death was, it does not make his actions or ideologies immune from criticism."