This article is so good, I couldn’t wait to share it with you.  The War Against Christmas Rages On from The Daily News out of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada puts it so aptly.  Please take a moment to read it.

Here’s an excerpt to get you going:

Christmas is the most important holiday celebration of the year in our culture, and it essentially belongs to Christianity, although it is properly something to be shared with others in a spirit of kindness and generosity.  The real problem is the astonishing degree of cultural leverage a self-appointed elite of left/liberal secularist ideologues now exert on society.  Through pseudo-intellectual coercion, they browbeat others into capitulating to their political-correctness agenda.

This will be my last post for 2007.  Hopefully, society will return to sanity in 2008 and  Where’s Christmas? will cease to exist. 

Until then, have a very Merry Christmas!

In the meantime, resist the opposition with loving wishes for a “Merry Christmas”.  Perhaps we can affect them in such a way that the small hearts of the grinches will grow.

Who is it that opposes State Representative Marlin Schneider’s efforts to return to the sane practice of calling a Christmas tree a “Christmas tree”?  Why, it’s the Freedom From Religion Foundation, that’s who.  And, just who are they?  Well, there a dedicated group of only 12,000 people who think they are better equipped at running America than the other 99.999999% of us.

So just what does the Freedom From Religion Foundation do?  Do they create programs like the Boy Scouts to help children become productive members of society; or the Salvation Army to help feed and clothe the needy; or hospitals to care for the sick; or schools to promote education?  Well, uh, no…we file lawsuits. 

And, what has the FFRF accomplished in it’s short life? 

The Foundation acts on countless violations of separation of state and church on behalf of members and the public, including: Prayers in public schools, payment of public funds for religious purposes, government funding of pervasively sectarian institutions, and the ongoing campaign against civil rights for women, gays and lesbians led by churches.

The Foundation keeps several challenges in the courts at all times, and has ended a variety of violations of the First Amendment.

They also implement crucial informational efforts such as their “Wake Up” Campaign:

Initiated by a generous benefactor offering a $25,000 matching grant, the Foundation undertook a well-timed “Wake up America to the dangers of theocracy” campaign in 2006.  With wonderful response from its membership, FFRF launched public outreach, including our first foray into national radio advertising on Air America radio.

The FFRF’s purpose statement is, “protecting the constitutional principle of the separation of church and state.”  Never mind that neither the constitution, nor any other document of state mentions any such principle (see here for a well presented history of the issue).

Apparently organizations such as the ACLU, People for the American Way, and Americans United weren’t doing enough to eradicate Christianity from American history and contemporary society.

Here’s a quick follow-up to two previous posts.

I received another email notification from Micro Center.  For some odd reason, they seem to think there is something special about this time of year that might stir some desire in me to want to spend my hard-earned money at their store.  Here’s the header from the email Micro Center sent to me on 12-21-07.

Their “After the Holidays Sale Preview” begins…why (coincidentally I’m sure) the day right after the holiday.  Not the day after New Year’s Day, or Winter Solstice.  Not after Kwanzaa, and well after Hannukah, Diwali, Ramadan, etc., etc., ad infinitum, ad nauseum that so many people in this country supposedly celebrate in such a way that involves an unusual amount of retail consumption.  Turns out that all those holidays that, according to Micro Center, are equally important to Micro Center’s existence don’t really matter to them after all!  I, for one, am shocked!

Included in that email was a handy calendar to inform me of Micro Center’s “Special Holiday Store Hours”.  Let’s see, the only day they are closed is, let’s see…awe shucks…there’s no day for me to do my last minute Kwanzaa shopping?!

Note: They are open every day during Kwanzaa, and they are also open on New Year’s Day…very strange.  Of course, that must be because there is only one legal holiday in the month of December recognized by all fifty states and the federal government, and so they would likely have a rebellion on their hands if they forced their employees to work on that day - and they would have no customers that day either.

Let’s refresh our memories by reviewing Micro Center’s email response to my inquiry about why they made no mention of Christmas in their advertising:

Hello Todd,

We apologize if our advertising has caused you any undue frustration as it was not our intent.  We do advertise Holiday shopping to be fairer to people of all beliefs. (emphasis mine)

Respectfully,
Customer Service
Micro Center Online
4119 Leap Rd
Hilliard, OH 43026
800-634-3478 

How fair (or, for that matter, sane) is Micro Center, really, when they obviously pay no attention to these lesser holidays, and completely ignore the one holiday that matters most to their economic survival?

Wouldn’t it be great if, next year, no one bought any Christmas presents from Micro Center?  I’m sure they would start singing a different tune then…and, probably, a Christmas one at that.

Thanks to the Liberty Councel for their News Release today containing this report from the heartland:

Weatherford, OK – Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU), has issued a disturbing policy which requires all employees to refrain from using the word “Christmas” in oral or written form.  This directive was given by the university upon legal advice of the Oklahoma Attorney General, W.A. Drew Edmondson.  Liberty Counsel sent a demand letter to SWOSU following a complaint from a university affiliate.

David Misak, the Director of Human Resources, recently visited various university departments and employee groups and informed everyone that any decorations featuring the words “Christ” or “Christmas” in any work or public areas of the university must be immediately removed.  He also instructed everyone to discontinue the use of the term “Christmas” in their speech while on the job.  This censorship specifically includes exchanging email greetings of “Merry Christmas” among employees or with nonemployees, whether initiated by a nonuniversity employee or not.  Christmas remains a legal holiday for state employees, including those at SWOSU.  The directive does not include any other legal holidays such as Thanksgiving or New Year’s.

The University website appears Chrismassy with candy canes, Christmas lights, a Santa hat, a Christmas wreath, snow, mistletoe, holly, a “North Pole” sign, Christmas presents, and garland with Christmas ribbon and bows; however “Happy Holidays” is prominently displayed in the header, and appears when you mouse-over the graphic in the center of the page.  The link under the “News & Events” section takes you to SWOSU President John Hays’ denial of a ban on Christmas, consisting entirely of legal doublespeak.  His statement only reinforces the obvious: there’s no room for Christ or Christmas at SWOSU.

Here’s my letter to President John Hays:

to president@swosu.edu

date Dec 20, 2007 6:08 PM

subject Ban on Christ and Christmas

Dear President Hays,

You should be ashamed of yourself for allowing religious bigots to control policy at SWOSU.

The students, faculty, and staff are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, including those enumerated in the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.  In addition, the ban on the use of the words “Christ” and “Christmas” that you have allowed to be implemented on campus infringes on their right to free expression.

Christmas is a legal state and federal holiday, and no amount of censorship will change that.

I am posting a copy of this letter on my blog at: http://whereschristmas.wordpress.com/.  Should you decide to respond, I will be happy to post your response at your request.

Merry Christmas!

Todd Roper

Be sure to contact President John Hays too.

Wisconsin Representative Marlin Schneider has requested that I enlist your help to pass the bill he is sponsoring.  If passed, Wisconsin’s “Holiday Tree” will be restored to its proper name: The State of Wisconsin Christmas Tree (see my previous posts here & here).

Here’s the email I received from him this morning:

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.  Well, it looks like Senator Decker wants to kill it in the Senate so if you can apply some gentle persuasion to him and the other senators it would maybe help. - Marlin

I am so glad to read about a man with conviction who is willing to stand-up to the politically-correct grinches.  I fully support Marlin Schneider’s efforts, and I am encouraging my readers to contact Senator Decker right away (especially your Wisconsin Senator for you Wisconsin residents) to express your support for Marlin Schneider’s bill:

• Telephone (60 266-2502

• District Telephone (715) 359-8739

• Fax (60 267-9027

• Email Sen.Decker@legis.wisconsin.gov

Here’s the email I sent to Senator Decker:

Dear Senator Decker,

I urge you to vote in favor Representative Schneider’s resolution to reinstate the name of The State of Wisconsin Christmas Tree.  A Christmas Tree is no more a “holiday” tree, than a dreidel is a holiday toy.  Please vote to preserve our treasured traditions and our heritage.

Here’s a powerful ally supporting Christmas: SayChristmas.org

The Alliance Defense Fund recently wrote a letter offering to defend pro bono Queen Creek, AZ officials from any potential lawsuits if they restore the name of the city’s Christmas Tree.  “It is time to stop the ridiculous assault on a holiday celebrated by 95 percent of Americans,” said ADF Senior Counsel Gary McCaleb.  Amen!

According to Fox News reporter Adam Housley,

Mayor Art Sanders says he can understand the upset and would like to see the word “Christmas” return to the celebration.  Sanders says no one would call a menorah a holiday candlestick and that he’s always wanted to call the tree a Christmas tree.  Town Manager John Kross says the decision to rename the tree came in 2000 to recognize the overall season, not just Christmas.

Take a moment to email your support for the city’s Christmas Tree to Queen Creek Mayor Art Sanders; and your disapproval of renaming it a “Holiday Tree” to Town Manager John Kross.

Bravo!  The Harvard Crimson’s Christopher B. Lacaria has written an excellent opinion piece entitled, The War Against Christmas, Harvard’s holiday spirit raises a few questions.

Here’s an excerpt:

Chanukah, a holy day observed by a sizable portion of Harvard students, enjoys the public recognition on campus that it deserves. During the eight-day-long holiday, a giant menorah graced the Yard right in front of Widener Library. Such campus celebrities as former University President Lawrence H. Summers, “Justice” professor Michael Sandel, and current University President Drew Gilpin Faust herself even participated in public menorah-lightings, garnering significant Crimson coverage.

But not one public Christmas display—no Nativity crèche, no Advent wreath lightings—received any such attention, in the campus daily or on email lists. Surely there are still Christians on campus who cling tightly to their Christmastime traditions, but theirs do not figure meaningfully in the multicultural mélange that dominates Harvard this time of year.

Be sure to read the rest of his column.

While tag surfing, I came across this post by sammm1777 with a link to this 2-minute video by Stoplight about a generic holiday called Tossmas.  I think you’ll like it.

Thanks to Ripple Effects for this recommendation for Christmas.

Be sure to read this article from Family Security Matters!

Even as a full 96 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas, the ACLU works assiduously to erase it from the American scene, and destroy a huge part of America in the process. This is a story of warning, and you won’t believe what you’ll read.