Do You Say “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas” as your seasons greeting? That was the subject of a recent impromptu poll on the internet. We’re all aware of the ‘politically correct’ push to remove religion from our lives, based on the common excuse that we wouldn’t want to offend anybody. Considering that the politically correctness “movement” seems to be gaining popularity in our increasingly progressive world, the poll results were interesting, and quite revealing as well. The response was:
Merry Christmas – 88.54% (148,369 votes)
Happy Holidays -- 1.81% (3,027 votes)
Season's Greetings -- 0.21% (346 votes)
Any or all of the above -- 7.57% (12,684 votes)
Undecided -- 1.07% (1,788 votes)
Other. 0.81% (1,352 votes)
So, of the hundred and sixty-seven thousand respondents, 88% say Merry Christmas, and 11% may or may not use some other term…
If we look back at our country of fifty or so years ago, we would see a much more conservative nation that knew its values, and knew where to draw the line. But nowadays it appears we’ve become so sensitive to almost everything that no one can walk even a few inches without stepping on somebody's tender toes. So, I’ll pose the question: Has political correctness gone TOO far? Or, if it hasn't, will it soon? Where do we draw the line between basic rights and unfair advantages? Or has the fog of political correctness twisted our national character into something that would make our forefathers weep? Nor is political correctness just a matter of terminology either, its tentacles reach into every aspect of our lives. Nowdays, if your son gets an F on a school test, he hasn’t failed, he gets a “passing grade” despite not having absorbed the required knowledge. We certainly can’t have his feelings hurt. (But he still failed.) If Humpty Dumpty falls off the wall, somehow we must put him back together again so little children will not be upset. I could go on but there’s really no point, and I may offend someone by doing so.
Political correctness = thought control. Its goal is to remove individualism and homogenize society into a one-size-fits-all world, to remake us all in a common image. The question here is, why are we letting it happen? Since when did the feelings and the supposed needs of the few offended outweigh that of the many? I, along with millions of other Americans, am totally fed-up with all the tip-toeing around, trying not to "offend" anyone's tender sensibilities. We are in America after all, a Christian nation founded on the Freedom of Religion. That means, or at least is supposed to mean, that I have the right to worship in whatever manner I see fit. Or I have the right to not worship if that strikes my fancy. I don’t mind if you choose not to celebrate Christmas, as that is your right. If you prefer a "holiday" tree and you choose not to display a nativity scene, be my guest. BUT… December 25th is Christmas .. and established as a Christian celebration for quite some years now. If anyone doesn’t wish to celebrate Christmas then simply don’t participate. But on December 25th… It’s my right to celebrate Christmas in my own manner, complete with nativity scene, and wishing everyone else a Merry Christmas! I'm a Christian so I always say Merry Christmas to others. I have no problem with others saying happy holidays their own way, BUT nobody should tell me that I can not say…
Ón teaghlach Fogarty, Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain faoi Mhaise! (From the Fogarty household, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year) to each and every one of you.
Who...?
Howdy! I'm Robert "Bob" Fogarty, your friendly Central Idaho backwoods redneck rabble rouser. On the personal front, I'm well over 60 years old, an ex-soldier (Cold War and Vietnam), and a recently retired career firefighter. I'm married, stand 5'10" and tip the scales at about 160 when in fighting trim. I smoke cigars, prefer Irish whiskey when I can afford it, and drive a thirty year old pick-up truck whenever I can coax it into running. A few of my "pet peeves" are hard core environuts (with the emphasis on the "nuts" part), left wing bleeding heart liberals, opinionated people (unless they agree with me), politically minded lawyers, and government bureaucracy. Generally I get along fine with individuals, but I also think that humanity as a group is probably the dumbest bunch of sheeple ever to come down the pike.
With my political interests, I suspect that everybody in the alphabet soup of government agencies considers me to be a threat of some sort or other, and they've probably got me on all kinds of watch lists. That's OK, I don't particularly like them either, and I really do think the government has gone totally nuts. Most of my writing is published in a local paper as a Op-Ed column. Our publisher lets me write about whatever strikes my fancy at the moment, then she's brave enough to print it.
If you don't particularly care for my opinion, ignore me and I'll happily ignore you. If 'ya like my stuff however, that's wonderful, and compliments are always accepted with gentlemanly grace.
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