I'm referring to this ticket. I find it abhorrent that a company like Microsoft will bow to religious extremists, who, by misrepresenting and twisting out historical facts, claim victimhood over things like a santa hat.

Microsoft is a western company, headquartered in a country whose money is even stapled with Christianity, and will observe Western traditions as such. Christmas is one of the most prominent such tradition that has transcended religion for hundreds of years. To make it even more prominently less religious, the "santa hat" has zero connection to religion again - it is attributed to depictions of Saint Nicholas, who, while is a Christian saint, has gotten famous not for being Christian, not for following Jesus and spreading his word, but for being generally a good person, giving out gifts. No, not massacre of Jewish people, not an attack on another religion, but simply by leaving gifts for children.

The santa hat, regardless of religion, is tied to the period of the winter holidays, no matter the name, around the world. It has no negative connotation, and the only proof given in that post was a pseudo-historical description of questionable sources. It's nothing more than playing victim, to eradicate a well-known symbol of happiness, joy, and love in favour of a minority.

In other words: having the santa hat in VS code does not repress anyone's rights, however removing it because of a single complaint opens the floodgates of such influence. It was a small easter egg (uh-oh, will I get ostracised for mentioning another Christian celebration, even though it is an internationally accepted term for small, fun features?), not the depicted war cry "death to the Jews" said person is envisioning in it. It was not a swastika, it was not "Heil Hitler" playing on a loop, it was not a manifesto to encourage creation and operation of another Auschwitz. Comparing it to them is just as disrespectful to the victims of the Holocaust than outright denying it happened. When everything, even a little santa hat, suddenly equals the Holocaust, it loses its significance. Yes, keep remembering people it happened so we never repeat such a horror, but do not diminish its effects, and compare it to an effin' santa hat.

So please, let's keep politically correct bullshit out of this app. It's a tool. It's not a political platform.

Also, if he can be offended by the addition of the santa hat, I can be offended by the removal. Pushing religious propaganda is completely unacceptable. To me this is almost as equally offensive as forcing another religion on me. Please make the re-addition of the santa hat your top priority!

Sincerely: an atheist