This whole thing about Christmas is getting out of hand

[rpannier]

I celebrate Christmas, I send out Christmas cards and I wish people "Merry Christmas." Having said that, this whole thing over public displays by officials and retailers in relation to Christmas is just out of control. The wingnuts are attacking scrubbie because he sends out "Holiday Greetings" the same thing former President Reagan did from 1982-8 (I'm using Reagan because he's their hero). They're threatening to boycott Wal-Mart because Wal-mart had holiday greetings -- There are a million reasons to boycott Wal-mart, legitimate reasons, and folks this ain't one of them.

Examples:
"This clearly demonstrates that the Bush administration has suffered a loss of will and that they have capitulated to the worst elements in our culture," said William A. Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. (Worst elements huh? I guess he means Jews and Moslems.)

Bush "claims to be a born-again, evangelical Christian. But he sure doesn't act like one," said Joseph Farah, editor of the conservative Web site WorldNetDaily.com. "I threw out my White House card as soon as I got it."

I love this quote:
Someone who isn't peeved a scrubbie
"I think it's more important to put Christ back into our war planning than into our Christmas cards," said the council's general secretary, the Rev. Bob Edgar, a former Democratic congressman.
---"...into our WAR planning..." And people say the Crusades are over.

The full article can be found at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/06/AR2005120601900.html

[TallahasseeGrannie]

1. Why now?

I heard on the CBS news that no presidents have used the word "Christmas" in their greeting since..oh, damn I forget. I think it was Bush I. So how come they just noticed?

[burythehatchet]

4. Ah, the smell of desperation.

That's all it is. They have lost the debate on every relevant issue of our time, (and I'm not exaggerating), so cultural issues, fictional and otherwise, is all they have now. Expect it to get much, much worse. Fortunately, the sheep are groggy but awakening to this idiocy.

[bluedeminredstate]

5. Because they were promised

such language by the Rove election machine. They feel ripped off.
I say try Miami, Broward, Palm Beach and other Florida rip offs on for size and then come whining about their promises.
What complete assholes.

[LoZoccolo]

2. You jump to a rash conclusion about Rev. Edgar.

He is against the war, as could be easily found on the National Council of Churches website:

http://www.ncccusa.org/news/04foreignpolicy.html

I've learned to expect this kind of thing here, though.

[rpannier]

7. I was using it less as an Iraq analogy

and more of a general Crusades jargon. The "We must protect Jesus and Christianity at all costs" rhetoric from the 1300's. Apparantly he sees this whole thing over Christmas as a Crusade, much the way those in the 1300's saw the preservation of all things Christian as a Crusade.
If I am reading you comment at the bottom correctly you jumped to conclusions. But, I've learned to expect this kind of thing here.

[LoZoccolo]

9. Right and that must be why...

...you preceeded it like:

---"...into our WAR planning..." And people say the Crusades are over.

I think everyone sees what I'm talking about.

[rpannier]

11. Actually

I was merely quoting the man. He used the words "War planning."
In addition I am relying on traditional definition of Crusade: 1)A holy war. 2) A religious war term used by Christians against a percieved enemy of the faith.
If you want to take it in the narrow scope of the War in Iraq, so be it. I don't use it that way, neither do most people in this corner of the world (like myself)-- Korea.

Final Note: Great Icon. I love the Sox too. I watched them from over here in Korea.

[applegrove]

3. Peace on earth, good will toward men

[kevinbgoode]

6. Well, I just don't understand one thing. . .

I mean, don't the wingnuts also worship the Moonies? How come...well, Rev. Moon ain't on all their "christmas" cards...and why aren't Dobson, Robertson and Falwell required to pay homage to the monarch of America with gifts from the three...ohhhh...now I get it....they are spozed to be WISE men.

Ok...now I know why we can't re-enact any manger scenes in freeperville.

[stray cat]

8. Bush's war on Christmas and O'Reilly's war on Christmas

how evil.

[tx_dem41]

10. There is an easy way to avoid the issue.....

Don't listen to talk radio, which pretty much is a shout fest or pep rally anyway. Don't watch cable TV news shows, again lots of shouting, but no substance.

Instead, read a good newspaper or three, read some good "issues" magazines, read a good book. Go out and meet real, live people. I can almost guarantee you that you will not hear the issue brought up at all or hardly at all. Plus, you'll be a better-informed person on the important issues instead of the media-made ones.

[Raydawg1234]

12. The Real War on Christmas

The real war on Christmas started when it became the season of buying stuff. Lets cut the bull, What's the first thing people think of when December comes around? The message of the new born Christ child? Noooo way. What do I want? What will make ME happy? Oh i better get my wife something good I dont want to sleep on the couch.

Santa Claus Killed Christmas