The right wing’s War on Christmas “has never been so profitable.” The conservative American Family Association has “has rung up more than $550,000 in sales of buttons and magnets stamped with the slogan ‚Äö√Ñ√≤Merry Christmas: It’s Worth Saying’” and the Liberty Counsel “has taken in more than $300,000 with its Help Save Christmas Action Packs.”
I’m sick to death of the War on Christmas © and all of the attendant religiosity, moralizing, and self-righteous piety…all while those flogging the alleged “war” are laughing all the way to the bank.
Lets’ face facts, shall we? There is no War on Christmas © . No reasonable person in this country hates Christmas. If you don’t like Christmas, or if you choose not to celebrate it, that’s your prerogative. It’s still (nominally, at least) a free country. If you choose to greet someone with “Happy Holidays”, “Season’s Greetings”, “Merry Christmas”… or even “Go F—k Yourself, Heathen Pond Scum”, that’s your right as an American guaranteed freedom of speech and expression. You may not make many friends, but hey, every action come complete with a corresponding reaction, no?
If you believe that Christmas should be all about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and nothing but, then knock yourself out. Would it kill you to be cognizant of the the reality that not everyone thinks like you, believes like you, or chooses/wants to celebrate Christmas like you?
A Zogby International poll conducted last month found that 46% of Americans are offended when a store clerk greets them with “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.” More than a third of the 12,800 adults surveyed said they had walked out of a store or resolved to avoid it in the future because the clerks didn’t show enough Christmas spirit.
Is it just me, or do 46% of Americans need to lighten the &$%# up??
For the fourth year running, conservative Christian groups have spent much of December mobilizing against what they see as a liberal plot to censor Christmas.
But this year, it’s more than a cause. It’s a heck of a fundraiser.
The American Family Assn., a conservative activist group, has rung up more than $550,000 in sales of buttons and magnets stamped with the slogan “Merry Christmas: It’s Worth Saying.”
Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit law firm affiliated with the religious right, has taken in more than $300,000 with its Help Save Christmas Action Packs. The kits include two buttons, two bumper stickers and “The Memo that Saved Christmas,” a guide to defending overt religious expression, such as a Nativity scene in a public school classroom.
Yes…call now; operators are standing by….
Also for sale through conservative websites: Christmas bracelets, tree ornaments and lapel pins intended to send a defiant message to those who would turn December into a multicultural mush of “winter parties,” “seasonal sales” and “Happy Holidays” greetings.
Christmas warriors can also download ‚Äö√Ñ√Æ for free ‚Äö√Ñ√Æ lists that rank retailers as either “naughty” or “nice,” depending on how often their ads refer to Christmas rather than a generic holiday.
Without a doubt, if you’re a Christian unable to think for yourself, if you need someone to tell you where it’s acceptable to shop, there apparently are plenty of people willing to do the dirty work for you.
People of any ideological or religious stripe are, of course, free to shop wherever they choose. What I find so thoroughly hypocritical is that groups like the American Family Association and Liberty Counsel are willing to manipulate the alleged War on Christmas © as just another way to make a quick buck.
“You’re seeing people really wanting to take this battle forward,” said Mat Staver, the president of Liberty Counsel, based in Orlando, Fla.
No, what you’re seeing are people willing to react rather than think rationally. You’re seeing people willing to swallow the propaganda spewed by Bill O’Reilly, John Gibson, and other trolls more concerned with their own financial and self-aggrandizement than with anything remotely having to do with Christmas. These trolls are as much about celebrating the birth of Christ as Jeffrey Dahmer was about vegetarianism.
With minimal advertising on Christian radio stations, Liberty Counsel rang up more than 12,000 orders for a glossy copy of the legal memo (which is also available online for free). The minimum donation to get an “action pack” was $25; many supporters kicked in more. Liberty Counsel also sold 8,000 buttons ($1 each), with slogans such as “I {heart} CHRISTmas.”
Yes, and I {heart} ignorant, hypocritical troglodytes willing to swallow the farcical War on Christmas © propaganda fed to them by zealous talking heads more interested in profit than truth.
Thankfully, this war will come to a halt shortly. I can hardly wait until the cease-fire ends next year….
