Holiday Harangue: Utah Lawmaker Wants To Mandate 'Merry Christmas'

[meegbear]

The Religious Right's annual whine-fest about the "War on Christmas" is coming along right on schedule. James Dobson has issued his list of "naughty and nice" retailers, and Donald Wildmon is doing land-office business selling in-your-face buttons and stickers criticizing anyone who fails to say "Merry Christmas" (a nice move during the season of peace).

It's all well and good to leave the carping to Religious Right leaders and blowhards like Bill O'Reilly, but I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop: input from elected officials.

Right on time, state Sen. Chris Buttars of Utah has appeared. Buttars is promoting a resolution encouraging retailers to use the phrase "Merry Christmas" instead of the more generic "Happy Holidays."

"It would encourage the use of `Merry Christmas,'" Buttars told the Salt Lake Tribune. "I'm sick of the Christmas wars - we're a Christian nation and ought to use the word."

<snip>

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2008/12/2/125615/953/Front_Page/Holiday_Harangue_Utah_Lawmaker_Wants_To_Mandate_Merry_Christmas_

Encourage? What the fuck is with Utah?

[Ezlivin]

1. Next thing you know they'll edit the Pledge of Allegiance or add words to our money

Hell, they might go so far as to putting bibles in hotel rooms, maybe even purchase some radio and television stations to promulgate their message.

[Sequoia]

2. I like your tiny pic there.

I just love that movie. Saw it first when I was around 6 years old and it left a deep impression on me. I liked it when the robot made the weapons disappear.

[Ezlivin]

7. We'll see how they handle the remake of TDTESS

I'm cutting them a lot of slack. The first movie did not hew close to the short story, so I'm not expecting the remake to either.

[izquierdista]

3. Gee whiz, guys, what's the big deal?

It's not like I was trying to get everyone to say "Heil Hitler" or stuff.

[deadmessengers]

5. damn, you beat me to it. n/t

[monmouth]

4. Can't wait to send my RW acquaintances a "Happy Holiday" message

of cheer via e-mail. Good times ahead...

[Liberal Gramma]

6. Would this law apply to Jews, Muslims, Buddists, and Hindus?

These people are nuts.

[kestrel91316]

10. Mormons (you know, the folks who run UT as their own private fiefdom)

don't give a damn about Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, or Hindus.

In the 70s they passed a law that mandated all businesses except gas stations (and hospitals) be closed on Sunday. Took a while, but it got tossed out.

[frebrd]

15. You left out Atheists......

we're not big on Xmas, either!

:hi:

[kestrel91316]

18. And the pagans, who christians stole Yule from and bastardized it

to gain converts and therefore MUCH money.

[mondo joe]

8. I love how these dumb fucks are all for the free market - except when they want the

market to enforce their social agenda.

[Solly Mack]

9. some folks need to climb down from the cross already

well, unless they intend to hang there until the bitter end...then by all means, stay put.

[drm604]

11. "I'm sick of the Christmas wars"

You and other like minded people are the only ones fighting them Mr. Buttars. You are the ones who declared war. Everyone else is just trying to live their lives and celebrate (or not) the way they choose and to allow others to do the same.

You're not going to convert anyone by forcing people to say "merry Christmas", and you're not going to lose anyone just because they hear someone say "happy holidays".

Christmas is in no danger. Even it it was, it's none of the Government's business. Back off and leave people alone. :grr:

[Quantess]

12. Nope, there aren't any problems with THE ECONOMY or anything...

OUR TROOPS are doing fine in the Middle East, IRAQ is great.
Who cares if our INFRASTRUCTURE is crumbling.
Americans are going HUNGRY and HOMELESS at an alarming rate,

but at least we'll be guaranteed to hear Merry Christmas!

[demokatgurrl]

13. Why is it "merry" instead of "happy" Christmas anyway?

Inquiring mind wants to know.

[SidneyCarton]

14. When St. Senator Buttars can show me where exactly in the Constitution it states...

That we are a "Christian nation" I will consider his arguments as merely annoying and not inherently stupid.

As to the question of what makes Utahns the way they are, I submit that Utah is a good example of why Mormons are better adjusted when they live interspersed with Gentiles (as they do in the other 49 states) Something about living in the echo chamber leads to some bizarre behavior.

[aquart]

16. Does he know that makes Christianity the national religion?

[mikeytherat]

17. "I'm sick of the Christmas wars, so here's another salvo!"

"I hate this so much I will make it my focus!"

:crazy:

mikey_the_rat

[Adsos Letter]

19. "...we're a Christian nation and ought to use the word."

I am so sick of hearing this presented as "fact" by people whose education should include enough understanding of American history to comprehend the concept of religious liberty, and it's importance to the framers of the Constitution.

We are a nation whose population, at its founding as the United States, contained a large majority of protestant Christians. Their influence and contributions to American thought and culture, starting with Puritanism prior to the nations incorporation as a republic, have been, and remain, undeniable.

But we are not a "Christian Nation" under law and, if Americans are smart enough to recognize the value of that status, we never shall be.

Religious liberty to all, including the right to be irreligious...and sic semper mortem tyrannis...to tyrants of whatever variety.

[bertman]

20. I'd vote for it if it was "Merry Fucking Christmas".

Ho Ho Ho boys and girls.