Conservatives why no war on Christmas this year?
- Thread starter Jarod
- Start date
I think there are plenty of nuts who want to gripe about it...and some are. We just aren't hearing as much about it. Just wait, O'Reilly or someone will gather up a story in a few days and there it will be. Right now the talk is about socialized medicine and the build-up in Afghanistan and such. Pretty boring news for me so I've sworn off for a few days. I like to be happy this time of year. One more day for me and then I got two weeks off....yippee!! 
I belive that its because we dont have the Bush campaign machine trying to use the conservatives to create a wedge issue.
Just two years ago it was the biggest topic and all the conservatives were up in arms about how K-Mart is evil because they employees are told to say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas.
I was at a meeting last week where it was about 30% Jewish and 70% christian, two fools wished EVERYONE a Merry Christmas, the Jews did not get offended, although one wished EVERYONE a happy holiday "for any holiday they may be celebrating"
Just two years ago it was the biggest topic and all the conservatives were up in arms about how K-Mart is evil because they employees are told to say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas.
I was at a meeting last week where it was about 30% Jewish and 70% christian, two fools wished EVERYONE a Merry Christmas, the Jews did not get offended, although one wished EVERYONE a happy holiday "for any holiday they may be celebrating"
O'Reilly said that there haven't been the huge drive this year against it so that there has been no reason to get upset this year.I think there are plenty of nuts who want to gripe about it...and some are. We just aren't hearing as much about it. Just wait, O'Reilly or someone will gather up a story in a few days and there it will be. Right now the talk is about socialized medicine and the build-up in Afghanistan and such. Pretty boring news for me so I've sworn off for a few days. I like to be happy this time of year. One more day for me and then I got two weeks off....yippee!!
Personally I just say Merry Christmas and let others say whatever they want.
Me too Damo. I say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year or Happy Holidays, whatever notion strikes me. I am careful of the cards I send out though...none of them reference Christ or anything religious...don't want folks getting the wrong idea about me. 
O'Reilly said that there haven't been the huge drive this year against it so that there has been no reason to get upset this year.
Personally I just say Merry Christmas and let others say whatever they want.
There has never been a drive against Christmas, merely an attempt to make it look like there is a drive against it, for political gain or financial gain....!
cawacko
Well-known member
Should we make people wear signs around their neck with their stated religion so we don't accidently offend them by saying Merry Christmas?
If I am in a synagogue or know that I'm talking to a Jew I obviously woulnd't say, "Merry Christmas" just like if I were in London on the 4th I wouldn't say "Happy 4th of July" to some bloke I meet on the street. If I were with my freinds from over there I would say "Happy 4th of July" just to get a rise out of them....and I would, but that's another story.
If I meet someone on the street in America and feel compelled to address him/her with a seasonal greeting I would likely say, "Merry Christmas" and not worry about it. Why should I?
No, you should just say Happy Holidays unless you know the person well enough to know what they celebrate. Why wish people a merry X-mas when you know a certian percentage dont celebrate such a thing?
Because you are likely to be showing an ignorance. A large percentage of Americans do not celebrate X-Mas.
If you are addressing a crowd that is about 30% Jewish, would you say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?
cawacko
Well-known member
I can say whatever the f*ck I want to. I don't have to try and be all politically correct and offend no one.
Now I happen not to say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. I just say hi. But the point is fuck this political correctness bullshit. I'm surprised a quarter of the English language isn't banned in San Francisco as its offensive to someone.
I'm with cawacko, just make people wear signs saying what offends them and we won't. Jarod, you're asking a nation that is ... well, look at these stats. I took them off a site that is anti-merrychristmas. I don't know where they got them but they are close to right:
97 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas.
53 percent of Americans are offended when wished "Happy Holidays."
90 percent of Americans "know the true meaning of Christmas."
60 percent say they won't shop at stores that have anti-Christmas policies.
68 percent of Americans want to hear "Merry Christmas" specifically.
I'm supposed to be careful how I say something because it might offend....(I'm going to give you a liberal number of those offended) 3 to 10% of the population. Please.
97 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas.
53 percent of Americans are offended when wished "Happy Holidays."
90 percent of Americans "know the true meaning of Christmas."
60 percent say they won't shop at stores that have anti-Christmas policies.
68 percent of Americans want to hear "Merry Christmas" specifically.
I'm supposed to be careful how I say something because it might offend....(I'm going to give you a liberal number of those offended) 3 to 10% of the population. Please.
cawacko
Well-known member
Hey Jarod I would like to see where you got your numbers for a large percentage of Americans supposedly not celebrating Christmas?
Adam Weinberg
Goldwater Republican
Long ago, I would get a little annoyed from being wished Merry Christmas, not because of Christmas itself, but because it usually reminded me how rarely other people even stop to think that someone might have a different background or custom than they do.
But over the years, I came to recognize that it is otherwise a very nice and polite gesture, and even if it is incorrectly attributed to you, it at least means you can return the wish back to that person and not be incorrect about it yourself.
To bring it back to politics, it does bug me when I do something political and there are the appearances of those same assumptions. Howard Dean got a lot of heat when he said the GOP was basically a white, Christian party, but I don't often see a lot of Republicans doing much to disturb that notion.
I guess it kind of depends on where you live and what kind of communities there are around you. There's truth to the statement that your lifestyle and culture influences your politics, but that doesn't mean there aren't a lot of people who choose politics from a perspective other than the stereotype of what their culture is supposed to be.
A huge bunch of the young people (for one, because they're young people) I've gotten involved in Young Americans for Liberty and the like would not be the profile of folks I would see at a GOP gathering, but they sure do fit in on the issues.
So, when I'm going to a Republican luncheon where the only entree served is pulled pork, for instance, or the opening prayer is directed toward a specific religious group, sometimes it makes me wonder if they had thought what it would look like to someone who is with them on the issues, but comes from another direction culturally.
But over the years, I came to recognize that it is otherwise a very nice and polite gesture, and even if it is incorrectly attributed to you, it at least means you can return the wish back to that person and not be incorrect about it yourself.
To bring it back to politics, it does bug me when I do something political and there are the appearances of those same assumptions. Howard Dean got a lot of heat when he said the GOP was basically a white, Christian party, but I don't often see a lot of Republicans doing much to disturb that notion.
I guess it kind of depends on where you live and what kind of communities there are around you. There's truth to the statement that your lifestyle and culture influences your politics, but that doesn't mean there aren't a lot of people who choose politics from a perspective other than the stereotype of what their culture is supposed to be.
A huge bunch of the young people (for one, because they're young people) I've gotten involved in Young Americans for Liberty and the like would not be the profile of folks I would see at a GOP gathering, but they sure do fit in on the issues.
So, when I'm going to a Republican luncheon where the only entree served is pulled pork, for instance, or the opening prayer is directed toward a specific religious group, sometimes it makes me wonder if they had thought what it would look like to someone who is with them on the issues, but comes from another direction culturally.
cawacko
Well-known member
This is addressed not just to you Adam but addressing a couple of points you and others brought up.
There is a big difference between an individual passing by another individual saying Merry Christmas or whatever and someone speaking to a large gathering. Anyone speaking to a large gathering ahead of time needs to 'know their audience'. That's public speaking 101. So yeah if you are addressing a large group of people it would be more appropriate to say Merry Christmas, Happy Hanuakah or anything else you may celebrate if you want to address it that way (assuming you aren't speaking to a bunch of Christians for example).
zappasguitar
Well-known member
O'Reilly said that there haven't been the huge drive this year against it so that there has been no reason to get upset this year.
Personally I just say Merry Christmas and let others say whatever they want.
Can anyone point to any year there really was a "huge drive against" Christmas? Or was that simply more of O'Reilly's hyperbole?
Right. Live in fear of "offending" people by wishing them to be happy. I worry about that all the time and stuff....
It depends on what you think a "huge drive" is.
When there were many court cases to remove the holiday from public buildings I can see how they might feel as if they were being attacked. If there aren't many of them this year I can see why they don't feel so besieged.
Now, when there were many court cases driven by specific groups I can very much again see how they might feel as if it was a concerted effort (a drive you might say). Add to that such symbolism as the Atheist sign in the Capital buildings and other things all at once.
As I said, if there were few court cases like this, less cities with the "be good for goodness sake" signs on buses, I could see why there would be less reaction from the Christians (read: conservatives). I am conservative, but I am not Christian.
I personally don't really care, we celebrate it as a way to teach the kids what the dominant religion believes so they don't misunderstand them later.