How likely is it that you will have a white Christmas?
Critical Analysis
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:
According to the visual above, how likely is it that you will have a white Christmas (at least one inch of snow)?
According to the visual above, how many states basically have no chance of having a white Christmas (at least one inch of snow)?
Let’s say that you had dreamed so much about a White Christmas that you decided to move to the state that had the highest percentage chance of having a White Christmas. Where would you move?
Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" is the best-selling single of all time, with over 50 million physical copies sold, according to Guinness World Records. Its enduring popularity and vast sales (even before modern charts) make it the undisputed best-selling single ever, far surpassing other hits like Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997". Irving Berlin wrote "White Christmas" in 1940, it was introduced by Bing Crosby on his radio show on Christmas 1941, and gained massive popularity after being featured in the 1942 film Holiday Inn, becoming a timeless classic that resonated with wartime nostalgia. Are you dreaming of a White Christmas?
After looking closely at the visual above (or at this full-size image), identify any geographical trend in the level of white Christmas possibility in the United States.
What’s up with Florida? And why do they always leave poor old Alaska and Hawaii out of these maps? Imagine you hated White Christmases and yet couldn’t bring yourself to move to Florida or somewhere there was like basically zero chance of a White Christmas. Explain how a concerned citizen could convince the POTUS to issue an executive order to ban White Christmases.
The reason that you have never heard of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I have a dream of a White Christmas” speech is because it didn’t happen. Isn’t that probably a good thing?
Another grand jury has declined to indict Letitia James. What’s up with that? How does the level of difficulty of voting in each state (see the cost of voting index below)* compare to the likelihood of a White Christmas as shown in the visual above?
Since the 2020 election many states have made it even harder to have a White Christmas. According to the Brennan Center For Justice the efforts to restrict snow have continued into this year. Why do you think so many states are making it so much harder for people to have a White Christmas?
If the next presidential election was held on Christmas., how many electoral votes would snow have?
Write and Discuss
Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.
Act on your Learning
Contact your state legislature and let them know what they can do to increase the chance of a White Christmas in your state.
Get Creative
Have a White Christmas. Just do it! Start now by standing on your desk and at the top of your lungs sing White Christmas. Now doesn’t that feel better.
