WAR AGAINST CHRISTMAS 2003 COMPETITION
[I] [II] [IV] [V] [VI] [VII] [VIII] [IX] [X] - See also: War Against Christmas 2002, 2001, 2000.
"Christmas will return again," we wrote last week when introducing our War Against Christmas 2003 competition. And it is indeed returning—albeit against ferocious opposition.
"The editor of our local small-town newspaper [the Lake Oswego Review] finally after about five years took the City Council to task for referring to the 'Holiday Season' and lighting of the 'Holiday Tree,' and that the newspaper will from now on not follow suit and will return to calling it the 'Christmas Season' and the 'Christmas Tree.'
I sent the editor an email congratulating him for his good sense [send another], and I got a response that my 'letter' will be published. A small victory—but it all counts.
(Karen W. Sorenson has coverage of this in the Oregonian. She suggests that that you should write to the Lake Oswego city council at council@ci.oswego.or.us.)
"Political correctness is killing Christmas - at least, that's what the [federal] Howard Government reckons.
"On the eve of the festive season, Multicultural Affairs Minister [VDARE.com note:!!!] Gary Hardgrave has called on schools and kindergartens to set up nativity scenes, throw Christmas parties and remember the story of the birth of Christ.
'We should get out there and flaunt it rather than having people retreat from it,' he told The Australian…"A lot of kindergartens and schools and businesses have decided they have to ban things because they might offend others, and they've got it completely wrong."
As for celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah or the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan, Mr Hardgrave said that was a choice for each school to make.
Defining multiculturalism as built on a bedrock of Western Christian values and traditions, the minister said input from other cultures was welcome but this occurred in a framework established by past generations.
"'Our culture, our tradition are something that has attracted people from all around the world to come and live here and be part of,' he said.
"'We have an opportunity to learn from the cultures they brought to Australia.
"'But we were here first, our framework was in place because of all of the efforts of previous generations. [VDARE.COM italics!] Our framework is what made it possible for all those people to come, and we should never be afraid of it.'" ["Appeal to keep the Christ in Christmas," By Sophie Morris, Melbourne Herald Sun, December 3, 2003.]
"Howdy from Montana!
"I linked to your Christmas info from Izzy Lyman's Homeschooling Revolution blog. THANKS SO VERY MUCH for what you're doing.
"It almost broke my heart recently to read in our local paper that the National Holiday Tree was coming through town. Cut in Idaho, it's being transported across the country and stopped for viewing in Bozeman, Montana, last Sunday afternoon.
"For as long as I can remember, we've watched Presidents 'on the mall' in Washington, ceremoniously lighting the national CHRISTMAS tree. What other 'holiday' would he be recognizing while lighting a decorated tree?"
Even here, this bad news is almost good news. The tree that passed through Bozeman was the U.S. Capitol's Holiday Tree—not the one the President lights. That is, miraculously, still called the National Christmas Tree. Whew!
It's not clear why the Capitol Holiday Tree has to be more politically-correct than the Bush White House—no mean feat. But there's a Capitol Holiday Tree website, so you can ask.
The website claims that "Correspondence of 1919 in the records of the Architect of the Capitol indicates that a holiday tree was purchased that year."
Er, no. In 1919, there wasn't a "holiday tree" anywhere in North America. Only Christmas trees.
On other fronts, of course, the War Against Christmas rages as ferocious as ever:
12/2/03 9:30:00 AM] and commented
"The ADL's description of Christmas as a 'December Dilemma' should at least win the competition in the best euphemism for Christmas category."
(Interestingly, the ADL contrived to avoid using the dreaded word "Christmas" anywhere in its release.)
"The Coca-Cola two-liter bottles have a drawing of Santa Claus drinking a Coke, together with the "Holiday 2003" bordering the top of the label. No mention of Christmas at all."
Check out the Coca-Cola Corporation's Holiday Website. You can send a "Holiday Card," with pictures of Santa, and no mention of what Holiday Santa usually comes out for. [email Coca-Cola]
"Last night on the Food Channel I saw a commercial from PETsMART [contact them]. A couple had just bought their dog gifts and the woman mentioned it would 'be his first holiday.'
"I have never known anyone in the non-TV world to use that expression for Christmas. The dog is obviously more intelligent than the company or the advertising agency."
"To ward off any potential protests, Phillipsburg [NJ] Postmaster Victor Lopez said his post office will not be putting up Christmas decorations this year.
'The reason is, last year we put decorations up, and you want to take a guess what happened? People complained,' Lopez said. "So I figured this time I'd play it neutral.'"
But at least one Phillipsburg resident has instinctively grasped the point: Christophobia is offensive:
"Crystal Hummer said the postmaster's ban on Christmas decorations is an affront. All Americans celebrate Christmas in one way or another according to their religion, she said.
"'If you're in this country, you definitely know how we celebrate our holidays. And if you don't like it, well, I'm sorry, then go back to your own country,' Hummer said." [Feedback over decorations prompts decision to go 'neutral' By Jeff Schogol, The [Easton, PA] Express-Times, December 04, 2003]
"This year, for the first time, my wife and I received Happy Thanksgiving cards from our financial advisor and a state conservation organization that we support. My expectation is that we will not be receiving holiday greetings from them."
To some Christmas cowards, this might seem like a good idea. If you can get your cards out of the way in November, you won't have to explain why you're sending cards in December.
But Thanksgiving's next on the list!
"It's that time of the year again - meaning it's time to go hunting for the Madonna and Child Christmas stamp to use on your cards and packages. If the USPS sticks true to form this year, the stamp will be unavailable in USPS vending machines, which tend to feature only the inoffensive "Frosty the Snowman" stamps. Thus, patrons who want the actual Christmas stamp are forced to wait on a long line to buy it—IF they even know about it. (I NEVER see the stamp advertised, and it is hard to find on the USPS website.)
"Call me paranoid, but I think the USPS does all this to ensure that no one even knows about the stamp. Thus, it can renew its mid-90's effort to kill it by claiming "there's no demand for it anymore."
"Prove them wrong! If you don't want to wait in line, you can order it online here.
"Also, let Washington know you are watching them by asking why the stamp is so hard to find.
"A shame we have to do this every year, but that's the culture we live in. Merry Christmas!"
"New York's legal briefs disputed the claim that the Nativity scene depicts a historical event, and that this event is the basis for the celebration of Christmas."
The ingenious argument: If the Nativity never happened, then the New York Schools Board can ban Christmas! But Ramadan and Hanukkah need not be banned.
You really can't make this up.
Hmm. Ramadan goes back to the prophet Mohamed, definitely a historical figure, (and what a historical figure). Hanukkah dates from the reign of the pagan ruler Antiochus IV, in 167 B.C. (see the Book of Maccabees, in the Apocrypha).
Antiochus prohibited public worship of God, and set up his own idols in the Temple. He "wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people, and that all should give up their particular customs."(I Maccabees, 41, 42)
Sound familiar? It sounds almost as if, rather than commemorating the persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes, the New York School Board wants to repeat them.
Antiochus lived to regret his evil ways.
The New York City school system (and some other grinches) might profit by his example.
Send more entries to witan@vdare.com —marked "Christmas Competition'!
