Minnesota COVID-19 Nurse Shamed For Hanging Christmas Lights

The person who sent this letter wasn't hugged enough as a child.

In St. Anthony, Kim Hunt and her husband put up a small light display outside of their home which included a single strand of multi-color lights and an illuminated wreath. Simple, but cheerful and bright. A neighbor didn't seem to think the same way.

Kim got a letter in the mail from an anonymous sender telling her how harmful her lights were:

I couldn't help but notice your Christmas light display. During these unprecedented times, we have all experienced challenges which casual words just don't describe what we're feeling. The idea of twinkling, colorful lights are a reminder of divisions that continue to run through our society, a reminder of systemic biases against our neighbors who don't celebrate Christmas or who can't afford to put up lights of their own.

We must do the work of educating ourselves about the harmful impact an outward facing display like yours can have. I challenge you to respect the dignity of all people while striving to learn from differences, ideas and opinions of our neighbors. We must come together collectively and challene these institutional inequiitesi; St. Anthony is a community welcoming of all people and we must demand better for ourselves.

Welcoming of all people, except for the ones who want to spread holiday cheer I guess.

Kim is a nurse on the frontlines of COVID-19, and when this story was picked up by national news outlets she told them seeing the lights as she came home from a long shift was a bright spot:

"We need to be inclusive of everyone, and let’s face it, a lot of people put up holiday lights or decorate their homes for other occasions to bring beauty and happiness to what can be a very ugly world"

The Hunt's weren't the only family who got this anonymous letter. Three other neighborhood houses with lights also received it.

I think Kim's lights are great. They are simple and fun, and a total bright spot in a world that can be rather ugly, like she said. Keep your lights up Kim, spread that cheer, and thank you for doing what you do to help those fighting COVID-19.