Black Friday
Semper Fi over at The Changing Face of America made a post regarding Target's explanation on why they have abandoned Christmas greetings from their lexicon to customers (not really surprising, given how Target kicked the Salvation Army to the curb last year). His subsequent post asks what other retailers have also dropped "Merry Christmas" as a standard greeting, in the name of multiculturalism, political correctness, and the desire "not to offend anyone".
You might think it's just good business practice, but I think it's just the opposite. When the majority of the populace, Christian and non, celebrate Christmas, how is that a wise business decision? What is Wal*Mart thinking?
Everyone can shop how they please, but I for one want to send a message out that this marginalization of Christmas as a religious tradition of no great significance to this country and whose deeply American heritage is to be eradicated from our culture, is not acceptable to me. It may seem like a mountain out of a molehill....but so is choosing to deliberately wipe-out "Merry Christmas" from our culture, making a mountain out of a molehill. I think most normal people, regardless of faith and non-faith, accept a Christmas greeting politely and with respect for the spirit in which the greeting is given.
You might think it's just good business practice, but I think it's just the opposite. When the majority of the populace, Christian and non, celebrate Christmas, how is that a wise business decision? What is Wal*Mart thinking?
Everyone can shop how they please, but I for one want to send a message out that this marginalization of Christmas as a religious tradition of no great significance to this country and whose deeply American heritage is to be eradicated from our culture, is not acceptable to me. It may seem like a mountain out of a molehill....but so is choosing to deliberately wipe-out "Merry Christmas" from our culture, making a mountain out of a molehill. I think most normal people, regardless of faith and non-faith, accept a Christmas greeting politely and with respect for the spirit in which the greeting is given.
posted by The WordSmith from Nantucket at 11/25/2005 09:16:00 AM
12 Comments:
Actually there are millions of people who appreciate having our thoughts, wishes and feelings taken into consideration too. There is no real negative affect on anyone or anything by not saying Merry Xmas.
Wordsmith,
Well said. We (Americans in general) have marginalized much of what was once the fabric of our great country. And, it is sad. I would have never thought in 1968, when I joined the United States Navy that our country would have changed so much, a for the worst. What was once right is now wrong. Is our American identity now confused? What to do we stand for? What are our morals, values, and ethics?
America’s Christian values and believes uphold a stable framework for people in our country to live together in peace. However, Michael Newdow, the organization Freedom From Religion, and all who want to take God out of America seem to be pushing their various beliefs and swing the pendulum to secularism. I would like to take part of a quote from Amber Pawlik of http://www.amberpawlik.com/, who incidentally is not Christian, “The fact that liberals speak out against Christianity……allegedly in the name of reason…..the left is not anti-faith but anti-values. “
Jack, I respectfully disagree with your position starting out with your marginalization of Merry Christmas with your term “Xmas.” Unfortunately, the term Xmas has been around for a long time. The marginalization process started long ago, but, we just did not realize at the time the future plan to strip America of our Christian heritage.
Jack's Shack, I respect your Jewish faith. I am not one of those Christians that The Jewish Connection believes accuses the Jews of killing Jesus. Jesus is a Jew. The Crucifixion was destined to happen regardless; that was part of God's plan. I do not convict your faith. Our Old Testament is your Holy Book.
If I was in Israel, I would expect to see the Jewish celebrations. In turn, I would expect to see Christian celebrations in America. You can display your menorah and other symbols of your faith. I would hope that you would respect me to display mine. Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and the 4th of July are traditional American Holidays. And, America is a traditionally a Christian country. We are a blending pot in America were many cultures are represented. America has taken the oppressed and downtrodden from other cultures and tried to assimilate them into our country. America is America and was founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs. Please take the time to read an article in townhall.com, “What does Judeo-Christian Mean?” http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/dennisprager/2004/03/30/11222.html
Would you expect American expatriates, Israel Christians, Palestinians, Muslims, and other nationalities in Israel go on a campaign to strip Judaism from Israel? You should want us to become secular like Europe?
Respectfully,
Bos’un
Actually there are millions of people who appreciate having our thoughts, wishes and feelings taken into consideration too.
Actually, for most of my life, I've taken into consideration, out of a common sense of respect, decency, and politeness, the religious and non-religious beliefs of others when I'd write Christmas cards and such. But now I feel coerced about it. What about showing appreciation and consideration for the "thoughts, wishes and feelings" of those who take Christmas very seriously and for who it truly means something? Are you offended if someone hands you a Christmas card? Why? Why have we become so easily offended and selfish? Why not accept the Christmas greeting in the spirit of good will in which it was given? Even if you aren't Christian? I don't even think it is ridiculous for a Jew to hand out Christmas cards. This is an American holiday.
If you (not you specifically, Jack)aren't Christian and are all for diversity and multiculturalism, why is it so hard to appreciate, participate, respect, and celebrate the "culture" of Christianity? Why is it so hard to acknowledge that this country was built upon Christian traditions and values? Why divorce yourself from that?
There is no real negative affect on anyone or anything by not saying Merry Xmas.
I used to often say "Happy Holidays" when I subsconsciously felt it appropriate; or simply as a variant of wishing "Merry Christmas". Now, I am so fed up by the PC police, that I intentionally will use "Merry Christmas" in an act of defiance. I'm fed up with it.
So, in a sense, I'd agree with you that it wouldn't be such a big deal; but it's been made into such a big deal, that, yes, I think there are negative consequences. To not say "Merry Christmas" but "Happy Holidays" is minor; but it is symptomatic of a larger issue at stake. So, yes, in another sense, it is a very big deal.
bos'un, thanks for weighing in with your cents and sense.
Wordsmith...stop defending your position. This exactly what the anti-Merry-Chritmas folks want you to do. You are right in your thoughts and DO NOT feel you need to defend it. Being PC means giving in to the secular crowd that are stretching the limits of the very foundation American was founded upon. Would you feel the need to defend our currency because it says "In God We Trust"? No, I know you better than that. If others cant understand where all of anti-Christmas rhetoric is coming from then they need to read our Constitution which they are protected by every day of their lives.
So...Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
It's not so much defending my position as trying to persuade others to see it my way; to convince guys like Jack, who sounds very reasonable and moderate, that Christmas is a time of year that should be enjoyed by both secular folk, and those of deep faith; and that it is an American tradition, that should be respected as such. To diminish its religiosity does all of us a disservice.
I don't feel like I was being attacked. But so much of what I love about this country is under attack by groups like the ACLU who do have the power and money to steer America in a direction I do not wish to see this country go in. I like seeing Nativity scenes; I like having Christmas trees; I enjoy Christmas carols in the public square. These public expressions for religion are being eroded. I refuse to budge another inch in giving in to the PC-in-the-name-of-diversity crowd. Another 30 years, I won't even recognize the country I grew up in.
I'm all for "evolving with the times" and not being stuck in the past, (which happens often when we cling to traditions; it can stagnate a culture). But in this instance, I see us going in a direction that does us harm. Progress is only progress when we are led in a positive direction.
I still love you because you always say it so much better than I do!
Wordsmith and Pamela, you both put is so eloquently. I would have hoped that Jack would be back to discuss his position more.
bos'un,
I visited The Changing Face of America and noticed Jack had commented and left an invitation to a post of his; so I ventured over and ended up leaving behind a mini-rant.
Yeah, I too am tired of Christmas being attacked. I am also tired of the rampant commercialization that now starts even BEFORE Thanksgiving! Enough already! No "silver bells" in the first week of November!
Well, I got my reply back from Target, and it's rather comical, and not too surprising. In it, I included their stock, cut-and-paste response to criticism over their anti-Christmas policy. And my letter was addressing that standard e-mail reply of theirs. So what do they send me as a response to my e-mail? The same stock Target e-mail answer I had already included in my mail to them, complete with the name of their representative down at the bottom. Unbelievable...
Christmas under attack is just the tip of the socialist politically correct iceberg that wants to neuter religion and all other forms of authority, including parental authority, as they increase the power of the state to govern every facet of life.
Putting CHRIST back in CHRISTMAS and putting CHRISTMAS back where it belongs is nothing more than our right and duty.
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