WAR AGAINST CHRISTMAS COMPETITION [ I ] [ II ] [ III]
Happy New Year! by Peter Brimelow
Twelfth Night and the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6 is the traditional end of Christmas. VDARE also brings to an end its War Against Christmas Competition for 2000-2001. Many thanks to all who entered. Things might get better - but we'll probably see you next year!
From: "Lemming of the B.D.A." [EMAIL-ID WITHHELD BY REQUEST]
Late, but better than never - my entry: National Public Radio's Christmas Day "greeting" to its listeners: "Merry Christmas to those who are celebrating it."
From: Allan Wall allan39@prodigy.net.mx
Here's a late entry, from none other than Dubya's website: "Governor and Mrs. George W. Bush Wish You a Happy Holiday Season and Peaceful New Year."
From [WITHHELD BY REQUEST]:
I was in a store with (real) Christmas decorations last week in Maryland - the Chinese supermarket in Rockville. And even in English! In contrast, the Giant and Safeway only recognized Kwaanza.
[VDARE's restaurant critic comments: Generally. I have noticed Indian restaurants also displaying Christmas decorations. In the Asian cases, ethnocentricity seems to lead to polite respect for the traditions of others. Domestic Indian newspapers I read in the course of business refer to Christmas as a time marker quite freely.]
Several readers commented on the Queens NY post office greetings board snapped by Craig Nelson:
From: PeteRedner@aol.com
The funny thing is that at least 3 of those languages ARE saying "Merry Christmas". It's the English version that's missing.
From: Michael Stapleford mstapleford@ultra-band.com
If it's any consolation, at least the greeting in Vietnamese translates as,"celebrat (ing) the birth of God" (not Jesus, though, sorry). Better than the generic substitute, at least.
[VDARE's analysis: This is because the War Against Christmas is not exclusively a religious phenomenon – it is a political and cultural phenomenon, aimed at the abolition of America.]
From: [name withheld]
And what about the chorus teacher who was teaching the children the 'classic' (?) Xmas song, 'Walking in the Winter Wonderland'. She would not allow the children to sing the words 'Parson Brown' (Christian symbolism), but substituted the words 'happy clown'. Isn't that silly?
And now – the winner!
From: James Fulford
You want egregious anti-Christmas statements?
Well, for excessive moral relativism, I think the ACLU's 1996 statement comparing Jesus to Hitler qualifies:
Witold Walczak, executive director of the Pittsburgh ACLU, told the Post-Gazette that the ACLU would probably challenge the action in court if the commissioners follow through with their promise.
"It is a sad day because this battle was fought by the county and lost," Walczak said. "It's unfortunate that they want to inject religion into public life again because it creates a lot of divisiveness and bad feelings."
He added that if the commissioners declare the courtyard to be a public forum, they must allow all displays, regardless of the organization or the content. "Come Hitler's birthday, the Nazis are going to have every right to put up a swastika," he said.
China has a different approach to these things:
Christmas Day, 1999 - Catholics in Nanguan Machi Village were arrested and fined the equivalent of 60-$120 for holding an illegal Christmas worship service in a vegetable shed.
Christmas Eve, 1999 - Three Catholic leaders and a 12 year old girl were detained in Liangzhuang Village, Hebei Province, and beaten with electric batons for holding an illegal Christmas Eve service. Injuries sustained caused the need for hospitalization.
[But "It Can't Happen Here."]
Louis Farrahkan, not trying to be ecumenical, said: "The true meaning of Christmas is heathen, vain, ignorant, backward, white pagan worship and idolatry." - November 16, 1994, Bethel AME Church, New Haven, CT.
[My question is, "Why is an African Methodist Episcopal Church inviting Farrakhan to speak at all? "]
Stephen Smith in an article in First Things Magazine recently quoted Tinsley Yarborough as being horrified at the insensitivity of Justice Rehnquist:
On the bench, Rehnquist could be "pompous." And he is insensitive; for example, despite an objection lodged by sixteen law clerks he persisted in a court tradition of holding an annual Christmas party that included offensive features such as "a large Christmas tree, a tape recorder playing Christmas music, . . . and the singing of carols."
This would be charming if Rehnquist's court weren't always closing down other people's Christmas.
On a positive note, NORAD is still keeping up their 44-year tradition of tracking Santa on his journey.
They seem to have no shame about this Christmas tradition. The only thing that worried me is that it meant that Clinton had the capability to shoot Santa down before leaving office.
The US Capitol has a "holiday tree", rather than a Christmas tree, displayed here on the webpage of Senator Tom Daschle (D-S. Dakota). "Happy Holidays from Senator Tom Daschle!! (On Daschle, on Prancer, etcetera.)
And Hamilton, Ontario, refusing requests for a Nativity scene, has affixed a picture of the Grinch to the doors of City Hall.
[The Hamilton Spectator - Friday, December 22, 2000]
City Hall tone-down opposite of tolerance By Joseph Sinasac
The good citizens of Hamilton deserve to be congratulated for the salutary lesson they taught...
(They want $2.95 Canadian for the whole article.)
There's a worthwhile essay on the death of Christmas by Chesterton, which I attach.
VDARE summary of Chesterton: Christmas is dying – and will never die.
January 6, 2001
