Pitiful and PC Excuses Aside, It's Christmastime -- Not 'Holiday' Time
by Tim Wildmon
December 9, 2005
(AgapePress) - - I got a call from a reporter at the Washington Post earlier this week. He wanted to ask me about what is now being called the War on Christmas. A very small percentage of people want to see Christmas removed from American culture and replaced with a general "celebration" of all things winter. Specifically, the word "Christmas" is being replaced with the word "holiday" in many cases. For instance, in late November Lowe's was advertising their Christmas trees as "holiday" trees. Now tell me: What other holiday besides Christmas do people put tress up in their homes? American Family Association spotlighted this and, in early December, Lowe's informed us that this was a mistake and that they were changing it back to a "Christmas" tree in their promotions.
According to Alan Cooperman, the reporter I spoke with at the Washington Post, the White House used to send out Christmas cards up until Bill Clinton became president. He changed it to a generic holiday card and President Bush has kept it that way because -- according to Laura Bush's press secretary Susan Whitson: "The cards in recent years have included best wishes for a holiday season, rather than Christmas wishes, because they are sent to people of all faiths."
That is a pathetic answer, Susan. Just pitiful. And you can pass my sentiments on to the President and Mrs. Bush.
My question would be then: What about the people among the 1.4 million who received the "holiday" card from the White House who are of no particular faith at all? If our objective, Susan, is to not offend non-Christians during the Christmas season, surely you have failed with at least one of the 1.4 million.
This is what is meant by the phrase "political correctness." And it gets absolutely absurd.
And there is more from the White House. Now the annual Christmas party for media is this year being called a "Holiday Reception" because, according to press secretary Scott McClellan, the Bushes "welcome people of all faiths."
That is a pathetic answer, Scott. Just pitiful. And you can pass my sentiments on to the President and Mrs. Bush.
Here is what you do, Scott. You tell the White House press they are invited to the Christmas party like they always have been, and anyone who has a problem with it being called a "Christmas party" is free not to attend.
How about this story out of Dodgeville, Wisconsin, where the Ridgeway Elementary School's "winter program" has changed the name of "Silent Night" to "Cold in the Night."
I am dead serious.
Sung to the tune of "Silent Night," the lyrics have been secularized as follows: "Cold in the night, no one in sight, winter winds whirl and bite, how I wish I were happy and warm, safe with my family and out of the storm."
And many of the major retailers have gotten into the "purge Christmas from the season" activity as well. Almost all of them want you to come in and do some "holiday" shopping with them. Let me ask you a question, reader: When was the last time your bought someone in your family a Thanksgiving gift? And when was the last time you heard about kids running downstairs into the den on New Year's Day to see what gifts the New Year's Elf brought them during the night? See what I mean? With the exception of Hanukkah, which is celebrated by perhaps one percent of the American public, 96 percent of the American public say they celebrate Christmas -- which means they do what? That's right, they go CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!
As Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly says, every retailer in America should get down on their knees everyday and thank God that there is a holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Otherwise these companies would have to find some other way to make up for 20 percent of their annual sales.
The press statement the Target store chain is sending out is, to borrow from Master Card, priceless. This is the same company that kicked the Salvation Army bell ringers out from in front of their stores last year, you may remember. They say the reason they don't have any references to Christmas in their stores is because, "Our holiday merchandise selection includes Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa merchandise..."
Kwanzaa merchandise? Give me a break. To use the word Kwanzaa in the same sentence with Christmas when you are talking about American culture is utterly ridiculous. The vast majority of people in this country don't even know what Kwanzaa is (a secular celebration of African culture), much less what Kwanzaa "merchandise" is.
Christmas is a federal holiday. It has been since the year 1870. It is only recently that anyone had a problem with it. And remember, without Jesus Christ, there would be no Christmas to secularize.
Let's keep Christmas in our American lexicon. And let's keep Christ in Christmas.
Tim Wildmon (contact@afa.net) is president of the American Family Association, a pro-family group based in Tupelo, Mississippi.
