Category: the Rant Board
So, at least here in America, a lot of the national and I know a few local talk show hosts on the radio are going on about this alleged war on Christmas. Of course, the right-wing windbags claim it's *the* liberals and *the* secularists who are just totally hostile to the Christian traditions of the holiday and seek to destroy them for their own secret and evil agenda. Yeah, as if we all just thought totally alike. Hell, I'm neither conservative or Christian and I still have not received any orders from a shadowy secret organization to go forth and destroy Christmas. Now, what I'm hearing from folks who are involved in this remaking of traditions is that they seek to be more inclusive of cultures who do not celebrate Christmas. I think that's a nice ideal, but I don't understand why you have to eliminate the word Christmas totally from advertising, for example, or why clerks in a store are told by the corporate office that they should wish people happy holidays and not merry Christmas. So the right-wingers are acting as if they just can't do what they want anymore, as if laws are automatically madeand put on the books merely out of fear of offence. I can perhaps live with Happy Holidays coming from a store clerk even though it seems a bit too generic, but I do not think Christmas trees or the singing of traditional Christmas carols are any kind of religious preaching or are being used to make non-Christians feel left out or inferior. I'm not offended by any of it and I'd bet most folks aren't, save for a tiny few who are perhaps too overly sensitive or paranoid. So I think both sides are wrong. The right-wingers are making too big a deal of it and so they're giving the squeaky wheel the grease, and the other side, although they mean well, are running scared of potential lawsuits and offence and people implying bad intent when there is none. You celebrate the way you want and I'll do the same and we'll all have a good time. That's my philosophy. But if it's more fun to be all offended and take yourself too seriously, I guess that's your thing too. What do you think? Do you believe in the war on Christmas?
I wouldn't think it's necessary to make a huge deal out of the whole Christmas thing, but to me personally, the way they just now seem to be changing the word "Christmas" to "Holidays" sounds weird to me. Not that I mind hearing the term "happy holidays", but I think they'd be going to far in wanting to leave out the term "Christmas" totally. I don't know. I'm not making too much sense at the moment... I guess what just makes me feel weird on that was a commercial I'd recently heard that used a Christmas song but substituted the word "holiday" for "Christmas", and that just sounded awkward to me. Even one of the ladies at the DSS office at my college told me to have a Merry Christmas but quickly changed it to "have a happy holiday", and that felt weird. I think in some cases at least, if a certain person celebrates Christmas, they shouldn't feel weird using that term, and the same for those who celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanza. If the other person doesn't celebrate it, they can just say thank you. I would think that would be fine in a small place, but in a big place like large stores or most commercials, I wouldn't feel too weird hearing "happy holidays" because you're dealing with the general public I guess. But, now this question just came to me. If the people who support all this political correctness on the "holiday" thing don't want to offend, would that also mean getting rid of all the Christmas songs, since they mention Christmas, terms relating to Jesus, and Santa Claus? That would just feel too weird. *smiles* Also, I'm just curious, do they have songs for Jewish or other holidays? If so, radio stations can play those songs too so it can be more even I think.
There is a gentleman I care about in my life as a friend that I have known for a few years now. There was a time when I would care for his young son in my home. I remember back a couple of years ago as he was leaving my home during the holidays after a visit he gave me a sly smile and said, “Merry Christmas Connie,” and my reply, “Happy Hanukkah Stu” and in turn giving him ever the so slight smile…. He then replying, “You remembered, Thanks, I appreciate it.”
Somehow in those few moments there was more of a Holy-Day Spirit than all of the other gatherings with friends and family combined.
i think they should just forget this topic
Dude, its Christmas time. its really going to be weird if you just say Happy Holidays instead of marry christamss. i think they should just let everyone celebrate what they individually believe is their hoilday or Christmas.
well, as a believer in God and Jesus, happy holidays just takes the christ out of christmas. No one is going to make me say or think otherwise. This political correctness is getting way out of bounds. I'm going to go on saying merry christmas, and I don't care if people like it or not. Once on for the people on caberet night, a woman asked if anyone would be offended if she sang a christian song. This irritated me. She should've just sang it and not cared whether or not it offended anyone. When it comes to God, you have to speak up for him, no matter who it offends.
wonderwoman
The only thing making people say one greeting over another might be social pressure or fear of offence. It's not like you'll be hauled off to jail in handcuffs for wishing folks a merry Christmas. In the end, what this seems to boil down to is some right-wing windbag talk show hosts like Bill OReilly and his kind, and known extremists like Jerry Falwell who are perpetuating this myth and making a jolly holiday into yet another political fist-fight. I bet they complained years ago that Christmas was too commercial and secular and not Christian enough. Now they expect stores to push Christmas even more. Typical human inconsistency. Anything to make a buck and some headlines and get people rallying for a fake war.
OK, here's another theory. I think for a long time, some folks in this country believed because they were able-bodied Christian white males that they had a kind of automatic preferred status in this country. Now that other cultures and traditions and lifestyles are growing and wanting recognition, they feel they are losing their power and influence and their perks as Christian white males, so they invented this war in order to at least feel like they have regained control over the culture and their favored status. Does this make any sense?
Yes it does. I think a lot of the things people are calling political issues stem from this very problem. The apressers are going to become the apressed someday and they don't like that at all.
I think you're right. I find at least some folks who see themselves as being the majority think that position gives them some kind of preferred status that nobody else will ever deserve to have, and the poor fools can't stand it when their free ride is over so they react like this and create a fake war. There's also another theory that says this issue is a cover-up to keep folks from thinking about various people who are being called out for doing questionable things which do not make the conservatives look good.
Hmm. Having pondered this for a while, I've come to the conclusion that, it's safest to be an Atheist. Do you see Atheists giving a damn about whether Christmas is called Christmas, etc etc etc? No! They're too busy having a good time! It's fine for muslims, Jews, Seeks, etc, to have their religious festivals? So why the hell should Christians be any different? Would Muslims for example, be ok with us refusing to call Ramadan ramadan? I very much doubt it because it is a symbol of their belief that they are proud of! Note, I use that as an example only, but the point I'm trying to make is, why is it always one rule for one, and another for another? No one religion, group, etc is more important than another, and it's about time we all started realising that! I think that Christmas is far too commercialised these days, but that wasn't the question. However, an observation that I will leave you with.
Unfortunately nobody fighting this argument really knows who is making the actual complaints, although of course fingers are pointing every which way but at themselves. And nobody in the middle of this whole kerfuffle is putting into consideration the bit about peace on earth and goodwill. But the times of "live and let live" have been long over and all people want is to have things done only their way or no way at all. Dear Santa, What I want for Christmas is for the human race to go get over itself. Thank you for your attention. Signed: Labyrinth
This was an interesting thread to read. Good thoughts on the topic. I'm personally ill over all of this overly political correctness. It's all a bunch of n.s. and I really don't want to have to think too deeply everytime I speak, for fear of offending someone. pretty soon your own personality is out the window in favor of being politically correct and non-offensive. though often in trying not to be offensive to someone you still are to someone else or even yourself in the process.
Who decides what is politically correct? Who's politics are we to be correct to adn why? Who enforces PC policies and why? Which is worse, being offended or being killed and which one do you have a chance of getting over? I'm confident nobody has the answer to any of these questions.
Ah, and as to Christmas, I see it has come and gone despite wars and rumors of wars, conspiracy theories and books to support them, and disgruntled conservatives and everybody who took part in this whole stupid silly circus. No matter if you called it holiday or called your tree something different or complained the evil liberals were out to get you, Christmas still came and we all celebrated it or did not celebrate it as we saw fit.
holey fuck
What else are the Americans going to destroy!
I feel sooo sory for the american people who don't understand. Jesus you guys put yourselves in the worst position by reelecting Bush, that's a totally different topic though. I guess you deserve everything your getting if you voted bush, I have no sympithy for you!
heheheheheheheheheheheheeheheehehheehehehehehehhe.
Well, nothing got destroyed and Christmas still came despite Bush, despite O'Reilly and everybody else.