10 Major Retail Stores Take A Stand & Say “Merry Christmas"

I'm glad I don't live where you do. Must be exhausting to keep up the hyper-vigilance to attacks from all sides. 

There's a larger issue here.

For a couple decades, a theme of American conservatism has been the claim that liberalism embraces victimhood.

(So, the fight for civil/voting rights was legit, but continued attention to racism is derided as victim mentality. Or the fight for women's suffrage or equal access was dandy, but continued attention to feminist issues is derided as victim mentality.)

Seems to me that an increasing segment of conservatives are embracing majority victimization when they complain that the majority religion or the majority holiday or the majority race are not given their due. Same sex marriage threatens majority/traditional marriages. Much is made of false rape charges (when we know most rapes are real) as an example of discrimination against men. 

But using the word "victimized" would be hypocritical and smack of the much maligned "identity politics," so they jump right to "persecuted."

It just smacks reeks of petulance. And like it or not, it IS identify politics, albeit a cringeworthy version

Result: an incensed woman deserting her cart at the check-out line - or calling for the manager - because she feels marginalized because her holiday was not EXCLUSIVELY acknowledged.

Larger result: Donald Trump.

Being inclusive doesn't exclude

Interesting how the people who bitch about their religion being trampled on, have no problem trampling on anyone else's.

If there was "deliberation", as you suggest, then it was probably done by "big commerce" -- so as not to offend (then potentially fail to suck the dollars out of their pockets) any of the adherents of any of the other belief systems that also have a celebration during this specific time frame.  For me, it seems just flat out nicer to say "Happy Holidays" to those whose belief system I am unaware.
For YOU ... express your warm feelings in any words you wish. 

My POINT is that no one was ever prohibited from saying Merry Christmas.

True that.

Hell, it doesn't even have to be a hard look. A cursory look will yield lots and lots of Christmas in the air.

No, I'm not. We are all sitting here telling you ad nauseam that no, whatever greeting someone chooses does not offend us! YOU are the ONLY one CHOOSING to be offended.

The irony here is hysterical.

It always kind of surprises me how uptight people become when others don't invoke the name of their Lord and Saviour in an effort to hock their wares. As if the story of Jesus losing his shit and flipping over tables was completely lost on them.

It's not Christian.

It's a group of conservative Christians who think everyone else on the Earth are doing it wrong and they feel the need to put their judgy pants on and let everyone know. Their way is the ONLY way.

PS - If anyone cares, mangers are fine on shared government property as long as they are not exclusive. The government may not privilege one belief system over others. So, you should be fine anxiousmom, as long as the manger is there w/other religious symbols and/or non-religious symbols.


Two relevant U.S. Supreme Court decisions: Lynch v. Donnelly and City of Allegheny v. ACLU.

Lynch included other symbols and the manger was fine. Allegheny was exclusionary and held to be government privileging of one belief system at the exclusion of others.

I've seen Christmas stuff in stores since August. Christmas music is playing on the majority of my radio stations 24 hrs. a day since the second week in November. I have been seeing lots of Christmas ads on tv for a few weeks. I don't think anyone is trying to take Christmas away.

IMO, the "Merry Christmas" thing is fighting against a loss of tradition, not an attack on Christians.

I personally love tradition, even if the Christmas traditions aren't religiously mine. The idea of inclusiveness is great until it becomes a "you must do ____________" so no one is offended or feels excluded. I was one of like three Jewish families in our neighborhood and school growing up. I never felt "excluded" singing Christmas carols. I never felt "bad" because Hannukah was not celebrated as much or right along side Christmas. I just think people get their knickers in a knot about the whole "everyone's got to feel included". In my experience, there is never a situation where EVERYBODY feels good. I just can't fathom someone being annoyed because they hear the word's Merry Christmas from the cashier. Or Happy Holidays for that matter. But it should be a choice of the person giving the wishes rather than the expectation of political correctness.

So Merry Christmas to all the Peas.  Christmas is a beautiful time of year.  How do argue with "Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men"?

As do many who liken Trump to Hitler.