This Christmas season, many retailers, cities and government buildings will omit traditional Christmas images or phrases in hope of not offending people who don't celebrate the holiday. According to an Opinion Dynamics poll presented by Fox News, 96 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas. It looks like groups omitting Christmas as a sign of respect are trying to cater to four percent of the American population while offending more than four percent of people who celebrate Christmas.
The political correctness of the elimination of Christmas in name or image is becoming ridiculous. Don Feder of Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation said, "Since America is a Christian nation and since we believe that religion is a public good, we think it's good for Christians to be able to celebrate their holiday - one of their two most important holidays." He also believes that it's "sad [that there is a] politically correct purging of Christmas from our culture."
Since it's been established that a vast majority of Americans celebrate Christmas or support the celebration of Christmas even if they do not personally celebrate the holiday, why are some people or places attempting to purge public Christmas displays from American culture? The institutions participating in these activities offend more people than they appease.
For example, Westaff sent a memo out to encourage Santas to say "ha ha ha" because "ho ho ho" may scare children or offend women. Unless a woman is a "ho," she most likely won't be offended by the phrase.
Not to be outdone by censoring Christmas, Lowe's has advertised "family trees" for sale. After consumers protested, they claim it was a printing mistake (it was corrected to "holiday trees"). I would think if you don't celebrate Christmas, you would not buy a Christmas, holiday, or even family tree for that matter. When Lowe's stoops to this level of political correctness, they lose customers who would be more than happy to buy a Christmas tree. At least they can console themselves with the fact that atheists, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Scientologists and people of other religions can buy family trees; sorry, that was a printing error, I meant holiday trees.
Schools, courthouses, towns, airports and train stations have also taken actions against Christmas. In 2002 New York City public schools banned some images of Christmas but allowed images of Hanukah and Ramadan to be displayed. I may not have a degree in political science, but I believe the United States revolves around what the majority of the population believes; in this case, Christmas and the value of religious tolerance. If the school wants to display a Nativity scene, they can, as long as they display other religious symbols when requested.
Another top notch offender of people who believe in Christmas is the city of Boston. In 2005, they called their Christmas tree a holiday tree without telling the donor of the renaming (after he spent the last 34 years donating Christmas trees). At the lighting ceremony of the holiday tree, they played Christmas songs such as "White Christmas" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." After the donor Donnie Hatt found out about the renaming, he claimed he would rather have put it in a wood chipper than have Boston call it a holiday tree. He also pointed out that if it was a holiday tree, people might as well put one up for Easter, too. Hatt remarked that Boston should return it since he gave them a Christmas tree, not a holiday tree. (The Harvard Crimson, Nov. 28, 2005)
If retailers want to attract more business, they need to advertise products that would make ideal Christmas gifts. Last year Best Buy advertised holiday gifts; they decided to go with Christmas this year. As a result, I am sure they'll see more business. If 96 percent of the country celebrates Christmas, then why not market your store to them? People who don't celebrate Christmas will probably still buy the products. Even if they don't, the stores will still get more business.
This political correctness brigade has only started with their attacks on Christmas. If it's not stopped now, who knows where this ridiculous battle will take us: one day we may all be celebrating a non-denominational holiday around a community holiday tree while saying, "ha ha ha, happy non-denominational holiday."
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