WAR AGAINST CHRISTMAS 2002 COMPETITION [I] [II] [III] [IV] [VI]

12/23/02 - Christmas Meditation 2002: Christ, The "Other", And Counterfeit Citizens, by J.P. Zmirak

Also see: War Against Christmas 2001

The winner of VDARE.COM's annual War Against Christmas Competition will be announced on Twelfth Night – when, in much of the English-speaking world, Christmas decorations are traditionally taken down.

Meanwhile, we wish all VDARE.COM readers a Happy New Year – although, as a correspondent pointed out last year, this does entail support for the unfortunately Eurocentric Gregorian Calendar.

That applies to the year's number too. Hugh McInnish of  http://suppressednews.com/ [email him] writes:

"Three cheers for Peter Brimelow's War Against Christmas Competition.  Make that ten cheers - at least.  But isn't it really just a Battle Against Christmas, just one battle in the War Against Christianity?

"I have just finished a short book on Alexander the Great, a nice little summary, but with an utterly disgusting twist:  Alexander wasn't born in 356 BC, oh no, it was 356 BCE, that is, 356 years Before the Current Era. Centuries later the Roman Emperor Caracalla visited Alexander's tomb in Egypt.  And when was that?  Well, it was in 215 CE, meaning 215 years after the beginning of the Current Era.

"Who decided on these obnoxious terms, BCE and CE?"

The fascinating thing about "Before Current [sometimes "Common"] Era," of course, is its flagrant Christophobia.  At least the "Happy Holidays" ploy has the rationale that other winter religious holidays exist (or have been invented). But there is no "Era" that is "Current" - or "Common". The only purpose of this maneuver is to avoid even an indirect mention of Christ.

Many Americans, beguiled by the diversity-is-strength crowd, have no idea how intense this minority aversion to the majority religion can be. An old friend, Michael Monastyrskyj, provides this gem: "Mosque Warns Against Saying Merry Christmas," by Catherine Porter, Toronto Star, December 28, 2002. In a Christmas Day message, the Khalid Bin Al-Walid mosque in Etobicoke warned that congratulating non-Muslims on their festivals "is like congratulating someone for drinking wine, or murdering someone or having illicit sexual relations and so on."

The Star reporter worked hard to find Muslims who multiculturally disagreed. But her interviews made plain that the mosque's congregants did not.

The establishment is definitely feeling the Christmas heat. Several correspondents sent Christmas-purge stories from the mainstream media, for example the Washington Times ("Christmas Fails PC Test In More Public Schools," by Ellen Sorokin and Vishali Honawar, December 20, 2002). Another excellent round-up came from Joe Kovacs of WorldNetDaily (December 13).

For some reason, the clumsy attempt by the British Red Cross to bar Christmas trees from its shops on the absurd grounds that it would offend Muslims (that's Red Cross. C-R-O-S-S! Hello? Hello?) attracted much attention from American readers.

British, Canadian and Australian examples are especially interesting because they come from countries where there is no ban on government support of religion – in fact, in Britain there actually is an Established Church (aargh!).  The law is not really the issue here. It's the kulturkampf – and that rages throughout the English-speaking world.

Mickey Cassock writes:

Sometimes I wonder if the conquest of "Holidays" over Christmas isn't partly the result of lazy reporters.  Is there an easier story to write?  Begin with a headline that condescendingly assumes your readers live in a Eurocentric bubble and will be surprised to learn the most commonplace facts about our cultural diversity.  (Harriet: "Dear, it says here that Christmas is 'not the only' holiday in town."   Ozzie: "Well, I'll be!  What will they think up next?")

Then go call up your local public school, shopping mall or state agency and ask the administrators the usual leading questions. Fill in the rest with blather that demonstrates your obvious moral superiority to anyone not as informed about the new "Holidays." 

Not only is there almost no work involved, your editor is sure to publish your story in a prominent place for fear of creating the impression that he is one of those backwards types who mistook twenty-first century America for a part of western civilization.  

And Cassock provides examples:

Here on the Holidays in Cincinnati ("For holidays, schools' focus on 'inclusion'", by Jennifer Mrozowski, Cincinnati Enquirer, December 9, 2002.)

Here  on the Holidays in Pittsburgh ("Holidays provide lessons in diversity," by Kellie B. Gormley, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, December 5, 2002).

Here on the Holidays in New York. ("Not Everyone Celebrates the Holidays With a Tree," by Karen J. Bannen, New York Times, December 2, 2002.)

Here on the Holidays in Texas. ("Christmas is Not Only Holiday in Town," by Wade Cameron, KTRE.COM, December 7, 2002.)

Hmm, sounds like that Mexican government publicist that Joe Guzzardi found planting the same pro-amnesty op-eds on gullible local editors has been multiple-messaging again!

The War Against Christmas, Abolishing America – it's all the same thing.

December 30, 2002