This stuff is hard to parody. Look:
A public policy think-tank has recommended downgrading Christmas celebrations in order to favour festivals from other religions to improve race relations in Britain.A report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) suggested this while pointing out that it would be hard to "expunge" Christmas from the national calendar. It said that "even-handedness" means public organisations must start giving other religions equal footing.
According to the Daily Mail, the leaked findings of its investigation into identity, citizenship and community cohesion also propose "birth ceremonies", at which state and parents agree to "work in partnership" to bring up children, action to "ensure access" for ethnic minorities to "largely white" countryside, an overhaul of Britain's "imperial" honours system, bishops being thrown out of the House of Lords, end to "sectarian" religious education, and flying flags other than the Union Jack.
The report by the IPPR, which has shaped many Labour policies, including ID cards, bin taxes and road pricing, was commissioned when Nick Pearce, now head of public policy at Downing Street, was its director.
Notice that this isn't from the think-tank arm of the Monster Raving Loony Party, but from a think tank whose former director runs public policy for Gordon Brown, the prime minister. These people are mainstream.
Leave it to a Tory Muslim, bless her heart, to speak common sense:
Reacting to the report, Sayeeda Warsi, the Conservative spokesman on community cohesion, said that the comments betray a "breathtaking misunderstanding" of what it is to be British."These proposals could actually damage cohesion.
"You don't build community cohesion by throwing out our history and denying the fundamental contribution Christianity has played and does play to our nation.
"As a British Muslim I can see that - so why others can't just staggers me," she added.
I think it's safe to say that Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo agrees.
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Don, I'm glad to be able to have this exchange with you. In particular, you wrote: people are too afraid of offending others, and I find that to be the primary symptom of the danger of political correctness.
Too many see that as an excuse to bypass the fact, embedded in the culture of the US, that every person has the right to express the beliefs and opinions they have.
I want people to be offended. I also want them to have the courage to engage in dialog about what offends them, but always short of using that offense as the weapon to destroy the freedom.
I would much rather have them at my ritual with the bullhorns, and be arrested for it of course, than be unaware of their City Hall backroom exhortations and threats that result in it being impossible for me to hold my public ritual.
What's wrong with not wanting to offend people? My mother used to say that a lady is a woman who never offends anybody unnecessarily. Is that PC? I think not. If somebody wants to wish me merry christmas when I walk into a Wal-Mart, I will reciprocate in the spirit in which I hope it was meant, by saying "and a happy holiday to you." But if I were Christian, I think I would find the Wal-Mart greeting offensive. Somehow "Merry Christmas and thank you for shopping at Wal-Mart" just doesn't seem in keeping with the real spirit of the season. Shopping is not and should not be a religious ritual.
Marian,
Life is too short to be offended by someone saying Merry Christmas. It's a pretty strong staple of western civilization, and because of that tradition, I don't see why there isn't at least something appreciable most anyone could find in the word "Christmas". It's really a fairly innocuous and passive statement. If I tell Franklin, for instance, "Merry Christmas", he does not need to take it as me telling him he should participate in a Christian ritual. It's an expression of something that is dear to me as a human. There is enough in that word, even without expunging the religion, to denote items common to everyone.
I don't know that we need to go out of our way to offend people--maybe we all should just have thicker skin--or else risk in an increasingly alienating society!!
I would be very happy to have Don -- knowing him as I do on this forum -- wish me a Merry Christmas, and I would expect him to accept my reply in the same spirit of good will: may you have joy in the return of the Sun.
Since I'm the producer, I'd also invite him to my annual Winter Solstice Celebration ritual performance*. If he knows of a similarly enjoyable and uplifting Christmas ritual performance to which he'd like to invite me, I'd gladly accept.
I'd love to see the PCers choke whilst witnessing his "Merry Christmas" greetings to the other attendees at WSC, along with my "Joyous Sun Return" greetings to the attendees at the Christmas event.
Two people offering each other hearfelt good wishes that might offend someone who hears them. Egads, what a concept! ;-D
* I'd post a link, but alas we don't have our performance schedule confirmed yet to post to our website. If you will be in Philadelphia during the middle two weeks of December, and are interested, drop me a line: madfedor@yahoo.com.
"There is no such thing as leftist "self-hatred". Nobody loves himself more than a leftist."
Phew, thanks for establishing that. Now I don't have to go through admonitions concerning that premise.
But as for me, I will reiterate, "oh, no! Here we go on the War against Christmas." agin. It's going to become my favorite carol here right quick. "Christmas is coming ... hear the whining start...."
I guess, the self-[hating?] [loving?] leftists will go down in history for promoting one war in history, and that'd be the one against Christmas.
BTW Merry Christmas. I know it's early, but I love getting an early start on Christmas myself.
Heifer
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