The 2010 Rightblogger War on Christmas Special -- Featuring Abortion Gift Certificates!

• I was just on loan, that one myself. Zilch no better than such an unplanned entertainment from wingnuts, where they are laid flat on their canned phrases.

• Thanks for highlighting my blog here. Anyway, I may not always see an update to something like this. I have a real job and do not have the time to always follow up on a post. I have now updated the post you cite. http://www.bluecollarphilosophy.com/2010/11/liberals-ban-references-to-christmas-in-florida.html Cheers, BCT

• "Does Pat Buchanon's phone have a crank on it? " Only when he uses it. -dg

• I can see how secular people would be able to celebrate the birth of Christ. Christ was a human being who stood for many great morals. You do not have to believe in a higher power to appreciate the symbolism of Christ's sacrifice. Happy holidays: whatever you celebrate.

• There is a sure fire way to win the War on Christmas. That is to finally prove the truth and force religious leaders to cease and desist from their lies and exploitation. That is what I have been doing in recent years and now comes time to get pushy about what I have proven. <a href="http://www.i-newswire.com/seven-star-hand-unveils-death-blow/79007">Seven Star Hand Unveils Death Blow in War on Christmas</a> Telling lies about me for two millennia has dire consequences, and now I intend to collect on what is due. Here is Wisdom...

• "French postcards", what the fuck? Does Pat Buchanon's phone have a crank on it?

• They've got Palin's chirpy, passive-aggressive bitch thing down cold. The whole "I'm so awesome that I can't let any critical thought about myself enter my awesome head! You're just bitter that you don't live in Bumfuck Alaska/Indiana."

• I love the way you idiots inevitably play the "Political Correctness oh noes!!!" card in your dipshit campaign to enforce YOUR political correctness. The perfect 10.0 double back-flip of hypocritical fucktardedness. Newsflash, as Amai and others have stated, most people Don't. Give. A. Fuck. But a hater's gotta hate, and a whiner's gotta whine.

• I would like for Christmas a wind-up aimai, to take on the stupids for me.

• Irony Jackpot = one of the few lighthearted moments amid all the Yuletide overspending & Drunk-Driver Roulette is the annual Festival Of BAAAAW from teh wingnuts over whether some store has their clerks say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Xmas" or some town council or bank didn't put up a tree or a nativity scene. Their butthurt is sweeter than candy-canes.

• "You don't know us" ... oh, but we do. Your actions tell us exactly what you are. You can fake words but not deeds. If you believe in the Golden Rule, prove it: publish your home address. Otherwise you're just another pathetic troll who gets off on being a griefer.

• I saw the happy face icon at the end of that first paragraph, and that's where I stopped reading.

• Making sure that Jesus and Christmas show up in ads for retail outlets is definitely not secular.

• Just wanted to say Hi to the Chicks on the Right because you KNOW they are reading this.

• A couple of weeks ago I was in beautiful downtown Iowa City, Iowa. Radio commercial comes on stressing the fact that this was Christmas Greetings, not holiday greetings. The gun store didn't mention whether or not they had blessed bullets ...

• Man, talk about attacking an ant with a railgun.

• Oh, I see, you don't have a clue how taxes work. Here's how it goes: we pay money, all of us taxpayers (and that includes people who pay sales tax, income tax, estate taxes, and all kinds of fees for public services) to the government and that money is used to fund things like roads, schools, wars, civil and criminal government functions--all that stuff that differentiates civilized and organized socieities from unorganized, anarchic, and generally war lord driven failed states. When Bush "gave" the tax cut to the wealthiest ten years ago we still needed to pay for all those things on a yearly basis. In fact, we found ourselves needing to pay for two wars on top of all that stuff. To fund the government we then ended up borrowing money from China--and promising that lower and middle class tax payers would foot the bill for charging all that stuff on our national credit card. So yes, dear, you and I and the rest of the workers and middle class in this country are "paying" for the upper class tax cuts. Because we are also paying for the wars that they won't pay for, and the bank bailout that they demanded. I'm sure that the very wealthy in this country are laughing all the way to the bank that poor morons like you take time out of your lives to "pity" them because they have to suffer the contumely of people like me. They don't care what I think of them--and they for damn sure don't care what you think of them--so long as the Republican party guarantees them the benefits of American Citizenship without asking them to pay their fair share. One last thing: what makes you think that you are happier than "liberals?" Are you under the impression that there is a sum total of happiness in the world and that if you are happy everyone else who is not you must be unhappy? Or that if you are satisfied with your life everyone else must be secretely envious? I'd assure you that that is highly unlikely to be true but that would be such a dissapointment to you that I hesitate to tell you. Your posts here pretty much scream a conviction that what makes you happy (Christmas good wishes hurled from a moving car (I'm speaking metaphorically of course) tied to a brick) is designed to make other people unhappy or at least, in your imagination, uncomfortable. If you need to imagine that you are the only person enjoying Christmas cheer with family and friends--well, maybe you need to feel happiness is exclusive to enjoy it. That old joke about the Baptists--that they have to believe they are the only people in heaven in order to enjoy it--can easily be stretched to include you. OK, I'm going to do it: I'll be the first to let you in on this teeny-tiny secret but the world is actually full of people who are pretty much happy--they have happy lives, they work hard, they have loving families, they celebrate a variety of festivals, they eat good food, and they do all that without needing to compare themselves to random strangers on blogs and without needing to imagine that somewhere, someone, is suffering. I highly recommend it. aimai

• Actually in reply to Chicks on the Right: <i>This world would be so much more kickass if people enjoyed life as much I as do. </i> How much can you enjoy your life if you have to spend your time harassing a woman who objected to an overtly religious display funded with public money, and encouraging other people to do so? Hell, even if we weren't talking about religion, aren't you right-wingers supposed to care about the deficit? Ditching the Christmas creche probably saved the town money. You like to criticize people here drawing conclusions about your character from your rather vile actions because they don't even know you, yet you keep ascribing motives to those who respond to you. Here's a hint, dear: Angry Geometer isn't "riled up" about you. He's LAUGHING at you.

• <i>Happily, because people (like us, even!) speak out, banks put trees back up.</i> Those fine Christian symbols, trees. Bethlehem being known for its plentiful supply of Douglas firs.

• One more thing. If you'd like to continue this discussion, feel free to pop on over to our site and join in there. I don't make it a practice of visiting The Village Voice, so this'll be my last comment here. It's been fun, but I don't have enough time to be active at both places. Thanks for the giggles!

• There's this theory I have that liberals are absolutely miserable compared to conservatives. You have helped prove that theory. Both you AND Angry Geometer, actually. I mean, why are you so obviously riled up when you don't even know me? "Mommy fellating Santa Claus" - seriously, Angry Geometer? The only explanation for sinking to that level, is that you're either a huge jerk or you're simply retelling your own story. And I feel sorry for you either way. I'll be thinking of you on Christmas when I'm celebrating with my family, and wishing that you had it as good as I do. I wish everyone did, actually. This world would be so much more kickass if people enjoyed life as much I as do. Here's a newsflash for YOU, aimai, you mean-spirited, pretentious blowhard: Welfare gets paid for with taxpayer money. That's just a plain fact. I'm not uber-wealthy, but I feel for those who are - because they get crapped on by liberals who believe they're entitled to that wealth inexplicably, simply because they exist. The fact that you Actually Said that MY tax money pays for tax CUTS for the wealthy is the most absurd thing ever. Tell me, if the government takes money away from Mr. Rich Man, and then decides to take LESS money from Mr. Rich Man, how exactly has Joe Middle Class had to pay for that? And why doesn't Mr. Rich Man deserve to keep his OWN FREAKING MONEY? I find it hilarious that you have obviously spent all sorts of time perusing posts at our site, and yet instead of commenting there, you come back here to deride and insult us. Why not join in the discussion there? I invite you and welcome you with open arms. And I'm not being bitchy at all when I say Merry Christmas. Frankly, it sounds like you could really use one.

• WOW, you're repulsive.

• There's this thing called the Dunning-Kruger effect. Basically, all dumb people think they're smarter than smart people. So maybe you are as smart as you think you are, or maybe you're so dumb you can't even tell how dumb you are... I'd say have a merry Christmas but it seems highly unlikely that you will. Usually dumb and awful people come from dumb and awful families, so I pity you on that point. (Is that why Christmas is such a big deal for you? Daddy went out "for tinsel" and never came back or something? You saw Mommy fellating Santa Claus?) So, instead I'll just wish you a happy Epiphany. Someday.

• Dear Chicks, You are profoundly stupid. Name calling isn't the opposite of logic--it arises because after studying your oeuvre I am able to ascertain, logically, that you are a whiny, aggrieved, pathetic person. And also quite illogical. Calling you what you are *is perfectly logical*--I'd even call it required. We can't get anywhere being mealy mouthed, as I'm sure you'd agree since in a variety of posts you seem to pride yourself on speaking truth to power. So, why did I call you whiny? I called you whiny because you are whiny. I read your posts--your post complaining that some black civil servant had used the word "nappy headed" to express her interest in making sure that inner city kids had access to computers, for example. You and your posters began to pile on and bitch about how someone you knew, or thought you knew about, at a homeless shelter had requested people donate new computers so that the homeless clients could have access to computers *that work* in order to try to stay in contact with friends and family and get jobs. This was represented as a horror and a disgrace because you and your commenters work for what you get and don't get "given" anything. Here's a newsflash you pathetic whiner: the country is entirely made up of people working hard for what they get. Occasionally, other people who work also like to try to help out the homeless, or school kids from poor districts. Apparently you can't imagine that--you think that you are the only people out there paying taxes and giving to charity and the rest of the country is just living off your dole? Get a clue. Study the actual numbers. If you are middle or working class a) your charitable donations aren't your tax dollars, b) your tax dollars pay for your own services, the war, and the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. Very little of "your" money goes to pay for welfare--none of it for new computers for homeless people (that's why they were asking for charity, you moron, because they don't get government help). Plus, what's with the bitchy use of "Merry Christmas" all the time? Are you under the impression that the baby Jesus's primary function is as some kind of battering ram? On Christmas Day when I'm serving food in some homeless shelter I'm more than happy to wish someone Merry Christmas. If I'm helping out during Channukah I'd rather wish them a good Channukah. If I'm just helping out I might prefer to wish them a good day. Its not fucking Christmas yet so what's with the pre-emptive strike other than as some kind of childish game? Christianity isn't even my religion and I treat it better than you do. That's why I think you are pathetic. Because you are. aimai

• Freedom of speech is only good if you actually have freedom to use it. Allowing people to say what they think -- regardless of how hateful -- is how you know what they stand for. As far as Christmas is concerned, the word has been most abused by Christmas sales than by anybody else. Would-be censors should stop commerical exploitation and let the Jesus-freaks alone

• You know you've got a massive sense of entitlement when you actually think you're being "oppressed" when the minimum-wage greeter at Wal-Mart doesn't use exactly the right words when you walk through the door.

• Wait. You're resorting to namecalling and YOU'RE saying logic is above MY paygrade? Please. I can't recall whining about how anyone has it better than me, given how truly fortunate I feel. Hearing a perfect stranger call me "sad" gives me the giggles. So, take your own advice, and quit whining. You don't know me well enough to presume how I spend my time. Happily, because people (like us, even!) speak out, banks put trees back up. Political correctness gets a deserved punch to the gut when people with Actual Brains decide they're not just going to lie down and take the madness. I consider those to be successes, even if they're little. But you go right on ahead being offended at trees and infants, if that's how you define that "logic stuff" that you think is above my paygrade. Meantime, Merry Christmas! :)

• Look, Chicks, don't try the logic stuff, its way above your paygrade. Basically, you and your friends are nothing more than sad, whiny, poseurs. You live to feel aggrieved. Every one of your posts, and I read quite a few, is about how religious people, or white people, or conservatives, or working people (a category you think is exclusively your own) are put upon and suffering in this minority/atheist/liberal/welfare queen dominated world. You and your posters actually think that sending christmas cards to a woman you have excoriated, threatened, and made fun of is some kind of nice gesture? Of course not. The whole point of your posts and your commenters comments was anger, spite, rage, and ugliness. Except the poor woman who reminded you all, for five seconds, that religiously speaking none of that really belonged with the season you were all pretending to defend. Christmas obviously needs no defending. For actual believers it will continue to have meaning whether a public creche is put up on public land at public expense or whether people have to (gasp) celebrate their private religious holidays privately. But for people like you, the professional whinerati, neither religion nor its expressions will mean anything because you are too busy attacking other people to do anything--whether that is attending your own church, saying your own prayers, doing your own religiously mandated acts, behaving ethically or morally within your own lights. Really, I challenge you, do one thing today that doesn't involve whining about how everyone in the world--black people, people without jobs, liberals, non christians, have it better than you. aimai

• Charitable actually, considering that the intent is to shower her with Christmas greetings. :)

• So is publishing the addresses of private citizens who make you mad charitable, or is that more on the humane side? I always get that mixed up.

• I wasn't aware that attending church was a requirement for being charitable and humane. Did you mean to imply that all non-believers are inhumane and uncharitable? You don't know us and therefore can't possibly know the extent to which we give to charity (or who those charities are). I also wasn't aware that we were "hysterical." What's next - are you going to accuse us of PMS'ing too?

• Wow, those chicks on the right are some special kind of bitchy. Not only did they publish the address of the woman who objected to the public creche, and not only did they waffle around allowing posters to post apparently jokey death threats, but they turn out to be doing it entirely because...well? you tell me. Apparently they are going all hysterical about *other people's displays* of religious iconography because they aren't religious and don't bother attending church--they certainly don't bother with all that charity and humanity stuff: "That’s where he’s wrong. Neither Daisy nor I attend church regularly. We don’t even attend church SEMI-regularly. I am a religious mutt, born to a Catholic mom and a Jewish dad. I believe in God, and I’ve been baptized. That’s about the extent of my religious-ness. But even though I’m not a bible-thumping, church-attending type of conservative, I appreciate and respect the traditions and meaning of Christmas. I also appreciate and respect the traditions of Hanukkah. If I had any idea what the traditions (or meaning) of Kwanzaa were, I’d probably just go ahead and appreciate those too. At the very least, I wouldn’t try to ruin those things for others, the way the people we’ve written about here insist on trying to do with Christmas.: Read more: http://chicksontheright.com/2010/12/13/attention-townspeople-i-have-exciting-news/#ixzz188C80o2A Its really a great case of Fred Clark's "Persecuted Hegemon"--the person who claims victim status as *both* the majority and the minority simultaneously and demands that all others serve their bottomless pit of anxiety that their core identity be celebrated. aimai

• Chicks commenter Rosie sez, "the librarian asked me to purge ALL books in the non-fiction section on Christianity if they had any mention of Jesus in them" She is totally not making that up.

• Ah, the atheist billboard. Did you see Bill Donahue's return volley? http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/30/dueling-billboards-face-off-in-christmas-controversy/?hpt=C2&replytocom=177619 "We decided to counterpunch after a donor came forward seeking to challenge the anti-Christmas statement." As long as money's involved, it'll never end.

• Especially for all of the excited comments you helped them get!

• Heh. I just had the same problem.

• I was just about to quote that one myself. There's nothing finer than this sort of unintentional hilarity from wingnuts, in which they are laid flat by their canned phrases.

• You're welcome!

• From a comment at the Chicks' response to the "Village Idiot" (ha! Take that!) <i>I am a NeoPagan- a syncretic Wiccan, to be more precise- and I’m offended at the attacks on Christmas. An attack on ANY faith is an attck on MY faith; how can I complain about bigotry and harrassment if I don’t defend other believers, whatever they believe?</i> This takes a Shaker level of self-defeating delusion. Plus it doesn't make any sense. Literally no one is questioning Christians' right to belief. None of these terrifically stupid nontroversies in anyway infringes on their rights to think syncretic Wiccans are Satan-worshipping hippies on the fast train to eternal damnation OR to believe with fervor that Jesus was born on Dec. 25 for some reason. The question is, of course, why doesn't City Hall have the syncretic Wiccan solstice display up, complete with a neo-pagan choir? I'm sure the Christian community would standfast with our friend, because, naturally, any attack on their faith* (*unless it comes from a different sect, denomination, synod, variant, dialect, sub-genre or diocese within their basic faith) is an attack on ALL faiths*. (*Islam doesn't count because it is totally gay) Also: not sponsoring a Baby Jesus display does NOT equal "attack". Nor does "Happy Holidays" mean, in any way, we are being nice to the Jews at the expense of the syncretic Wiccans.

• Nothing celebrates the spirit of Christmas more than harassing people!

• The Chicks have a good point, Roy -- what have you done lately about the 2005-2007 leadership situation at the Voice? Kinda destroys yer whole point, doesn't it, smarty?

• "How does one celebrate the birth of Christ as a secular holiday, exactly?" Well, given that Christmas is the adoption of a pagan festival on behalf of a questionable historic figure why would religious skeptics want to get rid of an occasion to party?

• <i>Rightbloggers celebrated, as you might expect, by complaining. "How does one celebrate the birth of Christ as a secular holiday, exactly?"</i> "Jesus is the reason for the Shopping!" (Axial tilt is the reason for the Season.)

• REMEMBER THE MANGER!!!

• http://chicksontheright.com/2010/12/13/attention-townspeople-i-have-exciting-news/ Thanks for the mention. Returning the favor.

• Well, someone on Sarah Palin's staff had her Tweet(TM) a Happy Hanukkah to all those who nevertheless should spend this month pulbicly acknowledging that Jesus is Lord. There was even a reference to the Maccabees, whose story is told in books that Protestants like Palin don't accept as part of the Bible. That might not be as miraculous as a meal tray Bible verse, but it ranks up there with the Trinity on the Ineffable Paradox Scale.

• <i>Rightbloggers celebrated, as you might expect, by complaining. "How does one celebrate the birth of Christ as a secular holiday, exactly?"</i> It takes an awful lot of intellectual rationalization to give presents and get drunk.

• You missed this one, Roy: http://www.salon.com/life/feature/2010/11/29/atheist_war_on_christmas/index.html

• Yes, yes, aside from all that -- I have never seen that Kurtzman/Levine comic. Good god. It's absolutely gorgeous. Never knew those two even collaborated. Thanks for the great CHRISTmas gift, Roy!

• One guy flying on Alaska Airlines had -gasp!- a MEAL served to him, and on a metal tray with a bible verse card? Truly it is a season of miracles!

• Oops, should have scrolled down to see that everyone else made the same comment. Damn. aimai

• Jeezus Cher-ist (sic) when did Christmas become a JUDEO-Christian holiday? aimai

• "The first battle in the War on Christmas has been won by Judeo-Christian culture." As Consumer Unit 5012 has noted, this could be an almost charming attempt to avoid the obvious charges of bigotry ... if it weren't so stupid. When the banners are saying "Happy Holidays," what is one of those other holidays that thereby gets included, given that not all Jews acknowledge the birth of Our Savior? Gad, given that he's obnoxious and usually unfunny, you'd think conservatives would be more familiar with Adam Sandler's <em>oeuvre</em>.

• Is "radio host Dennis Miller" the same as "failed television host and one-time comic Dennis Miller"? I wouldn't want to get them confused.

• Pat Buchanan , Isn't that the guy that thought he should be President just because he used to be Nixon's speach writer? . That had to be the century's biggest sense of entitlement.

• "War on Christmas," my ass. The guy who blew himself up in Stockholm yesterday, though? THAT's how you declare war on Christmas.

• They mean "Christians". They just tossed the "Judeo-" bit in there to sound less bigoted. Amazing that nobody ever points out to these doofi that it's not even Christmas until December 25th. Until then, It's ADVENT.

• "The first battle in the War on Christmas has been won by Judeo-Christian culture." The Judeo what now?

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