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Walmart apologizes for employee e-mail saying Xmas is mix of traditions

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funflower Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-11-05 07:27 PM
Original message
Walmart apologizes for employee e-mail saying Xmas is mix of traditions
NEW YORK -- The Catholic League, a civil rights organization defending Catholic individuals and the institutional church from defamation and discrimination, is touting its victory over retail giant Wal-Mart on its Web site today.

(snip)
The dispute began when a woman recently complained that the store was replacing "Merry Christmas" with "Happy Holidays" and received an e-mail response from Wal-Mart's customer service department explaining that Wal-Mart is a "worldwide organization and must remain conscious of this." The response went on to attribute the origins of Christmas traditions to other cultures. "Santa is borrowed from the Caucuses, mistletoe from the Celts, Yule log from the Goths, the time from the Visigoths and the tree from the worship of Baa. It is a wide, wide world," per the e-mail.

(snip)

This morning, however, Wal-Mart spokesman Dan Fogleman released a statement apologizing for "inappropriate and inflammatory comments" made by the associate, who has been fired. The retailer also has revised its Web site to direct customers to a "Christmas site."

(more)


http://www.brandweek.com/bw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001478062
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Cha Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-11-05 07:29 PM
Response to Original message
1. Whatever walmart..I'm not shopping
at your crummy stores and haven't for almost two years now.

I wised up to whom you give your political donations and what your agenda is.
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NoPasaran Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-11-05 07:31 PM
Response to Original message
2. What a bunch of cowardly chickenshits!
They're even forgetting the greatest tradition of all... the American marketing spirit!
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WolverineDG Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-11-05 07:32 PM
Response to Original message
3. Since when is the TRUTH
"inappropriate & inflammatory?"

oh yeah, only when you're dealing with right wing-nut fundies who wouldn't know jesus if he came up & smacked 'em.

dg
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ret5hd Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-11-05 07:32 PM
Response to Original message
4. Ha Ha...can't even defend the TRUTH!!!...
what a bunch of lose wimps! :rofl:
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ken_g Donating Member (249 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-11-05 07:33 PM
Response to Original message
5. This is gonna piss off Bill O'Liely! they better watch out! eom
Edited on Fri Nov-11-05 07:33 PM by ken_g
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tecelote Donating Member (645 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-11-05 07:33 PM
Response to Original message
6. There are many reasons to avoid shopping at Walmart...
at all costs.

But I applaud them for this.

They are recognizing the need to recognize all Americans, including Christians, but not only Christians. Good for them.

What an increadibly open and heart warmingly Christian thing to do.

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funflower Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-11-05 08:27 PM
Response to Reply #6
15. Not sure which was the "open" and "heart warming" part.
The original e-mail describing Christmas as having derived from a variety of cultural traditions was composed by a single customer service rep acting on her own. When the Catholic League screamed about it, WalMart fired the customer service rep and apologized for her "multi-cultural Christmas" e-mail.
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tecelote Donating Member (645 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-11-05 08:37 PM
Response to Reply #15
17. Ooops.
Your right.

I didn't read far enough. I thought they were supporting making everyone feel welcome. Should've known.
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funflower Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Nov-12-05 01:01 AM
Response to Reply #17
18. At least we know this employee was welcoming!
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Selatius Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-11-05 07:33 PM
Response to Original message
7. If the associate was fired for making an honest mistake, I shudder
This is what you get when there is no worker solidarity. The assertion that Christmas is borrowed from other cultural/religious traditions is largely true. This cannot be denied.
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Canuckistanian Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-11-05 07:34 PM
Response to Original message
8. The Catholic League needs to bone up on its own history
Seems to me Walmart got it right.... for once.
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Coastie for Truth Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-11-05 07:35 PM
Response to Original message
9. Luke II: Jesus Himself, Mary, and Joseph were Jewish.
See Luke II. Jesus was circumcised (Bris) and had a Bar Mitzvah.



1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.

2 This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

3 And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,

5 to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

6 And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered.

7 And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

8 And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.

10 And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people;

11 for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!"

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."

16 And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child;

18 and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

19 But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Ritual circumcision of Jesus ("Bris")
21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.


22 And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord

23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord")

24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

27 And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law,

28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

29 "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word;

30 for mine eyes have seen thy salvation

31 which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples,

32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel."

33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him;

34 and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against

35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed."

36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity,

37 and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.

38 And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

39 And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.

40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Bar Mitzvah of Jesus:
41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.

42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom;

43 and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,

44 but supposing him to be in the company they went a day's journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances;

45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him.

46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions;

47 and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.


48 And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously."

49 And he said to them, "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"

50 And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them.

51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.


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Missy M Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-11-05 07:35 PM
Response to Original message
10. Somehow I find this whole situation so overblown. How were the...
remarks in the email "inappropriate and inflammatory" and why would you fire the person who wrote it. What is wrong with Happy Holidays. Why does religion have to be so petty at times.
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donco6 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-11-05 07:48 PM
Response to Reply #10
12. I agree with you.
I don't get it. There's nothing wrong with the email. What was it supposed to say? "Christmas is only about Jesus - not about presents or candy or turkey or anything else. So we should shoo all these people out of the store."

Yeah, right.
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funflower Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-11-05 08:29 PM
Response to Reply #10
16. There was nothing "inappropriate" or "inflammatory" there, unless you
are a wingnut Catholic fundy.
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mcscajun Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-11-05 07:45 PM
Response to Original message
11. Okay...so now the truth is inappropriate and inflammatory?
It's a very strange place, Wal-Mart.

I didn't think it could get much stranger, but it has.

No way should any apology have been in order.

But :wtf: we can't really expect backbone there.
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hvn_nbr_2 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-11-05 08:09 PM
Response to Original message
13. Walmart employee tells truth, gets fired. No film at 11. n/t
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oneold1-4u Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-11-05 08:25 PM
Response to Original message
14. Day after!
Shopping for daily use household items that have xmas decor!
There are many usable items with snow flakes etc, on sale at half price or less and all wrap paper and decorations for the coming years. My most used are the zip loc bags, and I don't care if they have a santa, snow, or greetings on them at less than half the price all the rest of the year. That will give you the knowledge of how over priced everything is because WM doesn't lose money on anything!
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