The Impending Death of Christmas?

[JOKER96BRAVO]

i think it's a huge decission, that isn't thought out to well.
Out of fear for being labled "not pc" retailers try to do the
least amount of damage so they can still make money.
As soon as the public opinion shifts, so does their decission.

I say again

 

[007]

Do you really believe this? That the head of Walmart would intentionally make less money to somehow make a political statment? This was what I was trying to get at earlier; do you think that the Walton family is trying to make an anti-Christmas statement?

Yes. If not knowingly, then by their actions. Even if it's driven by greed.

I just find it hard to believe that a huge retailer is going to take the Christmas out of Christmas as a "marketing strategy". I believe they know it can and has backfired. There's got to be a different reason, and I think I know what it is.

 

[JOKER96BRAVO]

Yes. If not knowingly, then by their actions. Even if it's driven by greed.

I just find it hard to believe that a huge retailer is going to take the Christmas out of Christmas as a "marketing strategy". I believe they know it can and has backfired. There's got to be a different reason, and I think I know what it is.

of course it's money!!!!
Everyone in the US who sells anything does the same (more or less)
They try and make their company appeal to the public. If Kmart stoped
selling Martha Sterwart, you think it's because of what she did?
Never!!!
Ever seen the movie Super Size Me?
Mc D's and other chains soon released a "healthy alternative" menu
after their butts were openly on the line. But not because they thought it
was right.

 

[MissileMan]

That may also be true. One can find much "opinion" to go both ways though. So let me ask you then MM, why are these stores omitting Merry Christmas, if they KNOW that by doing so HURTS their business? You don't think that possibly the big men at the top could be "making a statement"? Sure they may put Merry Christmas BACK the next year to save their ass financially, but they've still "made their point". They're against Christmas.

The verdict is still out on whether the Happy Holidays signs will hurt the business of Walmart, Sears, etc. As has been stated elsewhere in this thread, if the numbers go down, the signs will go back up. It's all about the Benjamins!

 

[Annie]

That's so sad.... I have that Christmas... lots of relatives and so forth... but that "whatever" attitude sounds familiar... some of them are beginnning to want to spend the holidays alone.... an aunt and uncle are now going to Florida for Christmas.... some cousins are making excuses, my Mom is getting tired of begging and trying to accomodate them.... I can't say that I blame her, she's been trying to be good about it for a long time...

and I know.. I know... that when my Mom and Dad are gone.... I'll be in a similar situation as Pale.... because I can tell already that some of the cousins really don't want to be there, they just feel obligated.... besides, they have their families... so in about 20 years, it's going to be KarlMarx fending for himself on Christmas....

well... perhaps there is something I can do to spread the ol' Christmas cheer then, I'll be old and fat so I can be Santa or something nice to some little kids.... (and annoy the ACLU in the process!!!!! I'm so evil!!!!!!)

OK, so I'm going to start practicing my Santa lines..... how does this sound?

"So little Johnny don't you want a toy RPG or a toy machine gun for Christmas so that you can kill those bad Islamofascists????"

"So little Suzie, don't you want an toy oven and a baby doll so that you'll grow wanting to get married and have children in wedlock???"

Whaddya think?!?!?

Hey you are all invited to my house! Always enough to eat and drink. If PR comes, I get a ride on that bike!

 

[KarlMarx]

Hey you are all invited to my house! Always enough to eat and drink. If PR comes, I get a ride on that bike!

I'm jealous!!!

 

[Annie]

I'm jealous!!!

C'mon over, only a few days drive. We eat appetizers for like 1.5 hours, dinner for 1, clean up, dessert and cards or game. Say from 4p-12a. Age range=16-84.

 

[KarlMarx]

C'mon over, only a few days drive. We eat appetizers for like 1.5 hours, dinner for 1, clean up, dessert and cards or game. Say from 4p-12a. Age range=16-84.

I wonder if I could play hooky from work? Hmmmm...

 

[Gunny]

I don't think your overreaction lies in not giving your business to these stores. That's completely reasonable. Your overreaction lies in thinking that this is some part of the conspiracy. As many others have pointed out, it's about one and only one thing: money. Businesses were told they could get more business by using Happy Holidays, and, according to all of you, they will learn that this was a mistake. Believe me, if Walmart thought they could make the most money by offering holy communion while you wait in the check-out line, they would.

Have I said I believe it is some sort of conspiracy? I believe anit-Christianism is a belief held by a segment of our society, that like all wigged-out radicals, somehow manages to get the media coverage and project their voices above others.

There is, at a certain level a concerted effort being made to remove all things Christian from the public. If you don't think so, you've obviously missed all the stupid little court cases, usually fronted by the ACLU; which, IS a conspiratorial organization.

Believing what I can see with my own two eyes does not quite meet with your insinuation that I'm some conspiracy theorist. I assure you I am not.

 

[007]

of course it's money!!!!
Everyone in the US who sells anything does the same (more or less)
They try and make their company appeal to the public. If Kmart stoped
selling Martha Sterwart, you think it's because of what she did?
Never!!!
Ever seen the movie Super Size Me?
Mc D's and other chains soon released a "healthy alternative" menu
after their butts were openly on the line. But not because they thought it
was right.

I've already admitted part of the reason these retailers are omitting Merry Christmas is finacially driven. Operative word there being, "part". So if you can't see my point, that the "other part" is because is of the secularist and atheist pressure to do so, then this has been a one sided conversation.

 

[007]

C'mon over, only a few days drive. We eat appetizers for like 1.5 hours, dinner for 1, clean up, dessert and cards or game. Say from 4p-12a. Age range=16-84.

If I could... I'd be SOOOO there. That sounds like the old days Kath, when people called Christmas, Christmas...

 

[Abbey Normal]

I don't think your overreaction lies in not giving your business to these stores. That's completely reasonable. Your overreaction lies in thinking that this is some part of the conspiracy. As many others have pointed out, it's about one and only one thing: money. Businesses were told they could get more business by using Happy Holidays, and, according to all of you, they will learn that this was a mistake. Believe me, if Walmart thought they could make the most money by offering holy communion while you wait in the check-out line, they would.

No, it's not a conspiracy and it's not about making money. It's about not losing money, by avoiding lawsuits brought by an over-sensitive, litigious miniscule minority in this country. The buying power of these eternal "victims" of the horrors of seeing religious symbols in public, is not worth fretting over. However, the risk of ACLU-type lawsuits is worth considering, thanks to our screwed up liberal judicial system.

Ask any corporation's human resources and/or legal department how much money and man-hours they spend on PC training, such as sexual harassment and diversity training. Ask any public school district how much they fear offending ACLU lawyers who seek out schools and towns who have the nerve to put up a Christmas tree or sing a Christmas carol. They see the ridiculous lawsuits, like Newdow's Pledge of Allegiance suit, and succumb, to avoid losing money through lawsuits.

It goes far beyond Christmas. I work for our school district and almost everything we do has to be examined under the PC microscope and by the legal department before we dare implement it. After a while, they learn that it's just not worth the hassle.

I am encourged by the fact that the sleeping giant has been awakened. Things have gone so far, that even the most oblivious American can now see what is happening to Christianity in this country.

 

[Abbey Normal]

I have no family here in Reno. My closest relative is 750 miles away. I have no Christmas tree. I've put up no Christmas lights. I've not one Christmas decoration in my home. Christmas this year exists in my heart and memory, of the incredible anticipation of Christmas morning when I was a child, to go see what Santa had left under the tree. The going to church for the Christmas sermon. The visiting of realatives and a big diner. Those days were so filled with happiness and joy, they were magic. It just seems to me that this is all slipping away, and no one cares enough to fight back. People are too easily placated these days. The "whatever" attitude too often wins the day.

Pale, you are welcome here anytime.

And these are just for you, sweetie:

 

[The ClayTaurus]

No, it's not a conspiracy and it's not about making money. It's about not losing money, by avoiding lawsuits brought by an over-sensitive, litigious miniscule minority in this country. The buying power of these eternal "victims" of the horrors of seeing religious symbols in public, is not worth fretting over. However, the risk of ACLU-type lawsuits is worth considering, thanks to our screwed up liberal judicial system.

Ask any corporation's human resources and/or legal department how much money and man-hours they spend on PC training, such as sexual harassment and diversity training. Ask any public school district how much they fear offending ACLU lawyers who seek out schools and towns who have the nerve to put up a Christmas tree or sing a Christmas carol. They see the ridiculous lawsuits, like Newdow's Pledge of Allegiance suit, and succumb, to avoid losing money through lawsuits.

Good point.

 

[Bonnie]

None of this would be a problem in the first place if governments didn't provide education. Parents could pick religious or secular schools either way.

I have to say though, the attempt to paint the founders as some sort of fundamentalist christians is bizarre. Jefferson in particular was not shy about writing about what he saw as the absurdities of christianity. Do a google search for "Jefferson Bible". Most of the founders were agnostics, deists, or freemasons.

Actually the "founding fathers" were collectively of the opinion whether christian or not that a higher power was there and had blessed the new nation and it's citizens with gifts of freedom of many things speech, fair representation legally etc, but most importantly they recognised the importance of free and unrestricted religious expression, and the fact that they didn't want government interfering with that.They beleived that freedom came from God not from men. What is happening now would NEVER have been remotely acceptable to them now. The difference between Jefferson and the ACLU is Jefferson- whether he thought Christianity foolish or not respected the rights of those to freeley practice in all aspects of private and public life, the ACLU and others does not.

 

[Abbey Normal]

Actually the "founding fathers" were collectively of the opinion whether christian or not that a higher power was there and had blessed the new nation and it's citizens with gifts of freedom of many things speech, fair representation legally etc, but most importantly they recognised the importance of free and unrestricted religious expression, and the fact that they didn't want government interfering with that.They beleived that freedom came from God not from men. What is happening now would NEVER have been remotely acceptable to them now. The difference between Jefferson and the ACLU is Jefferson- whether he thought Christianity foolish or not respected the rights of those to freeley practice in all aspects of private and public life, the ACLU and others does not.

Well-said, Bonnie.