I see there’s a fight on to come clean and call a Christmas tree a Christmas tree.
“If it's a spruce tree adorned with 10,000 lights and 5,000 ornaments displayed on the Capitol grounds in December, it's a Christmas tree and that's what it should be called, says House Speaker Dennis Hastert.”
Well said. It’s time to stop the bullshit and call it what it is.
Some of my best friends are Pagans.
Last month my five year old took part in a book parade at school. They were supposed to dress up in a costume as a character from any book. They then walked in a parade carrying the book they choose the costume from. They were to wear the costume all day, and after the parade they had a party. The date of this “parade” was October 31st.
Some years ago it was decided, by whom I don’t know, that it was verboten to use the word terms Christmas tree, Christmas party, Christmas vacation, ad nausuem. I understand the premise. Not everyone is Christian. Well, it is what it is. It’s a Christmas tree. If we don’t want to have Christmas trees, ban the trees not the name. Is it any less insulting by changing the name? If I were really disturbed by this, changing the name and continuing the practice would piss me off even more.
A few years ago at work I was in a meeting and someone brought up the annual Christmas party. One of the VP’s said that we could no longer call it a Christmas party. He leaned in close to me and said in a low voice, “Some people are Jewish.” It was almost a whisper. No shit? I felt like screaming, “They know they’re Jewish! What's it to you, anyway?”
I’m not Jewish but a lot of my friends are. I’ve lived in areas where Christians are a minority. My neighbors are Jewish and they love coming over at Christmas. I have two Jewish friends who have Christmas trees every year. A few years ago I was Christmas shopping in the Fairfax district in Los Angeles. People were wishing me “Happy Hanukah” left and right. Do you know what my response was? “Same to you!” If I didn’t want to be surrounded by Jewish people I wouldn’t be there.
And just for the record, I’m Godless. That doesn’t mean I want “In God we trust taken off the dollar bill.” In fact I’m pissed off that people are actually trying to do that.
I’d like to know where all this over-the-top political correctness came from? Who the hell started it, and why has it been pushed this far down everyone’s throat?
Other points of view are welcome.
***Update***
Here’s an article from the Boston Globe that has a few gems in it:
It's discriminatory, too. Hanukkah menorahs are never referred to as ''holiday lamps" -- not even the giant menorahs erected in Boston Common and many other public venues each year by Chabad, the Hasidic Jewish outreach movement. No one worries that calling the Muslim holy month of Ramadan by its name -- or even celebrating it officially, as the White House does with an annual ''iftaar" dinner -- might be insensitive to non-Muslims. In this tolerant and open-hearted nation, religious minorities are not expected to keep their beliefs out of sight or to squelch their traditions lest someone, somewhere, take offense.
This article centers on major retail outlets and the choices they’ve made. Seperation of church and retail. Check out the poll.
I really can’t believe the war that’s going on over this. Someone is out to steal Christmas and I’m not fucking having it. The only problem is, I don't like the people I'm in bed with over this thing.
This is funny.....Jim and I just talked about this over the past few days.Don't change traditions or things that are "original" to this country.This country was founded on people who were "different" in other countries.I don't care about the word god on money or the 10 commandments in a courthouse,it belongs to this country.I WANT to keep it there.Christmas is Christmas and I find it UNFAIR that we can no longer use the term.We are being suppressed and our freedom is being taken away by minorities who have NO LIFE.I have to listen to other traditions,why am I not allowed to speak show mine?Makes no sense at all.I told Jim that if ANYONE ever decides to make the word Christmas against the law that I will hang up sings EVERYWHERE saying: MARRY FUCKING CHRISTMAS.
Who started this?Some assholes who have no life and need to make other peoples lifes miserable.
It is sad....:-((((((
If we don’t want to have Christmas trees, ban the trees not the name. Is it any less insulting by changing the name? If I were really disturbed by this, changing the name and continuing the practice would piss me off even more.
This freaks me out a bit. You know why we have "Christmas" in the first place? Because the Church co-opted pagan holidays and replaced them in stages with sactioned holy days. The first step is separating the holiday from its meaning by changing the name.
A-fucking-men.
I dare someone to try to stop me from referring to Christmas as Christmas. I dare them, I DOUBLE-DARE THOSE MOTHERFUCKERS!!! C'MON, SAY "WHAT" AGAIN! SAY IT! "WHAT" AIN'T NO COUNTRY I EVER HEARD OF...
Ahem. Sorry, got carried away. This kind of shit really makes my horns come out. This nation is being held hostage by a bunch of whine-babies whose ideas would never survive a public election so they have to use the court system and find activist judges to get their way. These kind of people need to be deported to North Korea, maybe they would appreciate things here better.
One thing that has pissed me off as long as I live in the US (7 years now) is that minorities always get what they want here.Not the majority,like it is supposed to be.5 assholes are offended by one thing...the entire country has to suffer from it.Just look at the thing about the GA state flag.
The problem is that foundations as well as traditions of this country are being changed.The one thing I always like here was that there are so many different cultures and people here but now it all has to be "equal".Equal to WHAT,tho???Equal to those who have no common sense,respect or tolerance towards others.I refuse to be so...
You see.......we should sue an anti-Christmas person to force them to say Christmas.But thats just a dream.....because unfortunatly.....as usual.....the minority will win,therefor Christmas will be history.....or at least the word.
Those are people who have NO LIFE WHATS OR EVER and are miserable,so they have to keep themselves busy making others miserable.
The posters who believe that anyone is trying to outlaw them from using the term "Christmas" are completely missing the point.
No one is trying to "outlaw" use of the term "Christmas." Our religious freedom to celebrate the holy day or holiday of "Christmas" -- in as religious or as secular a manner as you feel comfortable with--is very much intact.
What I see on this board is a lot of griping about the fact that there are minorities, period, and that some people in the majority have made (admittedly cringe-worthy) public attempts to be sensitive to minorities in our culture. If you actually take the time to speak with any minorities, you may find that from their perspective, the majority emphasis on Christmas is still very much alive, and very in-your-face-- from the incessant playing of Christmas Carols and pop songs about Christmas on certain radio stations and nearly EVERY retail muzak loop, to the beautiful/tacky lights & "large inflatable objects" displayed on suburban lawns.
Whatever Christmas is in this society, I am sure the spirit and meaning of Christmas has nothing to do with the fearful, racist, xenophobic sentiment of wishing non-Christians a "Merry Fucking Christmas" because you fear "THEY" will take away your right to celebrate. You don't like the fact that your municipal town square isn't celebrating Christmas? Get off your hypocritical high horse and GO TO CHURCH.
Peace and Goodwill, y'all.