A neighbor contacted me the other day, all indignant

[mac56]

because he had heard somewhere that "they" (???) were about to "outlaw" retailers saying "Merry Christmas" to customers. Why? Because it's not "inclusive and PC". God, he was outraged. I did my best to convince him that this wasn't going to happen, that even non-right-wing people say "Merry Christmas", and that there's no way such a law could be enforced, let alone become a law in the first place.

Shook my head for awhile afterward, wondering where he had gotten such an idea.

Found my answer last night when flipping the TV dial and landing for a moment on O'Falafel's show. Phone Sex Bill was spouting off about how badly he's being treated for his noble stand against the Liberal Secularists about this whole "Merry Christmas" thing. Near as I can tell, Bill is the only one making an issue out of this.

My neighbor is a well meaning guy, but easily swayed.

[MemphisTiger]

1. Tell him "Happy Holidays"

[mac56]

2. I very nearly wished him "Happy Kwanzaa".

nm

[billyskank]

24. In Birmingham (UK) a few years ago

they decided to name the festive period "Winterval." To be fair Birmingham does have a very large population of Muslims and ethnics for whom Christmas isn't their thing; nevertheless, you can imagine the outcry the populist right-wing press made of it.

[Minimus]

3. Tell him "Merry Xmas"

they hate it when you take Christ out of Christmas. Heck even Santa believes in Jesus.

[billyskank]

23. What does the X represent, then?

[mark0rama]

4. Falafelman is definitely the most visible person on this crusade

But the media in general are pretty easily led around, so it's gotten much more attention than it deserves.

I'm nearly 40, and I've heard people say "season's greetings" and "happy holidays" all my life. Only this year has the notion been advanced that it's some sort of threat to Christianity.

Most reasonable people reject this; some otherwise reasonable people are in the media and are helping to fan the flames for self-serving reasons.

On edit: spelling, as usual.

[mac56]

5. What's amazing to me is that we're here in the South.

How anyone can think that Christianity is under threat in the South is beyond me.

[smiley_glad_hands]

6. Right Wing Radio's Glenn Beck is pushing this hard too. eom

[Z_I_Peevey]

7. I was in a store the other day

and the clerk wished me a Merry Christmas. The thing was, he spat it out in a confrontational manner, jutted jaw and all. I was taken aback by the crazy nature of it all.

It was surreal. I think if I had replied 'Happy Holiday to you,' he might have socked me.

[StClone]

8. I am boggled at how easily people are duped

It's like the manipulators are competing to see who can compete for the most ridiculous assertions and watch their faithful fringe followers react. Like teaching your dog a trick then sitting back and enjoy the show.

[redqueen]

9. The insanely idiotic things some people get their panties in a bunch over

If only so many weren't so easily led.

:(

[Not_Giving_Up]

10. I work for a landscape company selling Christmas trees...

I say Merry Christmas to each customer...figure it's safe...they are buying a Christmas tree after all!

[BiggJawn]

11. Scarborough's show was on it last night.

Didn't EVEN bother to watch it.

Your neighbour is a Sheep, I take it?

[mac56]

12. A very nice guy. The neighbor everyone seeks out when they need a hand.

I'm reluctant to call him a "sheep". Perhaps: not a very critical thinker?

[BiggJawn]

17. Same thing, pretty much.

"Sheep", while not a complimentary term, doesn't mean he's a bad guy.

But since you describe him as "not a very critical thinker", and he got all in a lather over the idea of "The Liberals" getting the words Merry Christmas "outlawed", I think the term fits, if only because he's easily led around.

[mac56]

18. Yeah, I see your point.

nm

[dean_dem]

13. Omigod!!! This is an outrage!!!

Its like when those lib'ruls wanted to band bibles and force people to be gay!
Fox News has been spouting this crap for a while now. So one school in NJ changes it's banners to say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" and it's considered a war on Christmas??
But this is how the right-wing mobilizes its base. It creates these little non-existant threats for people to rally around. But don't worry, out Great Leader will save us from these godless lib'ruls.

[KurtNYC]

14. People who don't pay any attention to their sources

get polluted with this stuff. Falafel goes from being taped talking about naming his adult toys to being a crusader against twisted anecdotes about Christmas.

I have a neighbor who does that too. He'll say, 'so they found WMD in Iraq afterall.' Me: 'where did you hear that?'
Neighbor: 'on the news'
Me: 'you mean "fox news"?'
Neighbor: 'maybe, I don't pay much attention.'
Me: pfft!

[skygazer]

15. I still don't understand how retail clerks not saying

Merry Christmas in any way infringes upon a person's enjoyment of their holiday.

Why is their enjoyment predicated upon everyone else's participation? No one is telling them not to celebrate, no one is questioning their right to celebrate and no one is forcing them to celebrate anything else.

These people would be the first ones to raise a fuss if retail clerks began wishing all their customers, for example, a "Happy Jewish New Year" or a "Happy Ramadan." Why then, are clerks expected to acknowledge this Christian holiday specifically? Why can't they see the inanity of this?

Besides, as so many have pointed out, people have been saying, "Happy Holidays" forever. This is not some sort of attack on Christmas, though the gods know I certainly get sick of having THEIR theology shoved down my throat.

[johnnie]

16. The talking heads have nothing else to talk about

John Kerry's purple hearts are not news so they have to make something up for ratings.
The sad thing is that the Christians are ruining Christmas, not the non-believers. Not all Christians, but the ones who are misguided by people like bill.
It doesn't bother me what anybody wants to celebrate, but for the "moral majority" to act like they own December is too whacked out. I know I hear non-Christians once in a while complaining about the whole season, and how it can be a pain, but the biggest complainers are the Christians who think that they are having their holiday taken away from them. It's like they are fighting a non existing battle.

[yardwork]

19. This happened the last time the repukes were in charge of everything

They don't have anything to complain about when their guys are running things so they start making stuff up.

In the 1980s the word went around that the ACLU and Supreme Court were going to make all the cities in the US with the word "Saint" in their name change.

[Beer Snob-50]

20. Hannity was going on about this yesterday.

[mac56]

21. Hannity, Scarborough, O'Falafal...

Amazing how the "uncontrolled" "librul" media coordinates its message so well.

[RevolutionaryActs]

22. Personally, I like to say "Happy Holidays" because it covers it all,and I

like that. I don't do it to be PC or anything, I just think its nice. :)