The "War on Christmas"
This year, much has been made of the liberal "war on Christmas." For some time, we have endured the efforts of organizations like the ACLU toward making the holiday more "politically correct." 2005 has seemed worse than previous years, with many organizations' refusal to call Christmas trees what they are (opting instead for nonsense like "holiday trees"), the banning of Nativity scenes in public places, and absurd regulations in public schools like the banishment of red and green cookies or changing the name of Christmas break to "winter break." (See John Leo's "Christmas Quiz" from last week.)
I can understand some of this behavior from the government (after all, it's government), but I can't figure out why private businesses practically bend over backward to avoid offending anyone by using the word "Christmas." Don't they realize they're losing the percentage game by pandering to such a tiny minority? I would think eliminating the word "Christmas" offends or alienates a lot more people than would be offended by including the word.
Yesterday I noticed something while getting breakfast in the drive-through at Arby's. On the window was a sticker listing the store's "Holiday Hours." (This made sense, because it covered Thanksgiving through New Year's.) But this is what struck me. The sticker looked something like this:
Now, if they could write "Thanksgiving Day," why couldn't they write "Christmas?" Is somebody going to get offended and drive off without paying for their food? It's the little things like this that chip away at our traditions. Luckily, there seems to be a backlash from right-minded people this year, as some stores (I've noticed Sears in particular) have not shied away from advertising their "Christmas sales" and such, and have actually used the word in advertising and in-store displays.
What are these liberals thinking with this Newspeak? They're creating a society that is divorced from reality. Hopefully the backlash from regular people will continue next year.
Until then, MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I can understand some of this behavior from the government (after all, it's government), but I can't figure out why private businesses practically bend over backward to avoid offending anyone by using the word "Christmas." Don't they realize they're losing the percentage game by pandering to such a tiny minority? I would think eliminating the word "Christmas" offends or alienates a lot more people than would be offended by including the word.
Yesterday I noticed something while getting breakfast in the drive-through at Arby's. On the window was a sticker listing the store's "Holiday Hours." (This made sense, because it covered Thanksgiving through New Year's.) But this is what struck me. The sticker looked something like this:
HOLIDAY HOURS
Thanksgiving Day: Closed
December 24: 6 a.m. - 8 p.m.
December 25: Closed
(I forget what it said for New Year's.)
Now, if they could write "Thanksgiving Day," why couldn't they write "Christmas?" Is somebody going to get offended and drive off without paying for their food? It's the little things like this that chip away at our traditions. Luckily, there seems to be a backlash from right-minded people this year, as some stores (I've noticed Sears in particular) have not shied away from advertising their "Christmas sales" and such, and have actually used the word in advertising and in-store displays.
What are these liberals thinking with this Newspeak? They're creating a society that is divorced from reality. Hopefully the backlash from regular people will continue next year.
Until then, MERRY CHRISTMAS!
posted by -D. at 1:18 AM
2 Comments:
With all the respect due to someone who obviously follows politics much more closely than I, this whole thing seems like a red herring. I had a great Christmas this year with my family, and wasn't even remotely affected by the alleged "war on Christmas." I trust you did, too.
It seems more like an invented argument created by people like Bill O' Reilly and Sean Hannity so people will pay them attention. But, as my mother might say, "in the grand scheme of life, who really cares?" We all have to live here together, and we have enough problems without making up more.
In any case, I'm certain you and yours had a great Christmas. Hopefully I'll see y'all before too long.
wlh
I don't think it's a "red herring." What would it distract us from? (Discussion of the war, perhaps...but that's another post.) Sure, the assault of political correctness on Christmas may not affect us directly--at least not now. I think the issue here is more about the mentality that underlies such an attack: the idea that it's not acceptable to use the word "Christmas" to talk about the holiday season that IS Christmas. It borders on nonsense. Wait, I take that back--it is complete nonsense. What is a tree with lights and decorations in December if not a Christmas tree? Why couldn't Auburn University call it what it is? There's no such thing as a "holiday tree." To subscribe to the idea that celebrants of Christmas (primarily Christians) can't call the holiday and everything associated with it by their proper names for fear of offending non-Christians is to agree that it is acceptable to deprive certain people of their right to freely exercise their religion--indeed, even their right to freedom of expression.
I wonder what Easter will look like this spring?
-D.
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