12/11/2008
So, back into the breach again in the war against Christmas, launched in fine style for us by Max Blumenthal at The Daily Beast. His essay is really reverberating around the left blogosphere.Clearly, the primary stratagem of the anti-Christmas forces this year is to allege that objecting to the suppression of Christmas is anti semitic. That was obviously the purpose of the Blumenthal article. This is a serious mistake on their part, because it is a very two edged sword. Watch this space!.
At present most of the anti-anti War on Christmas writers, though, are still using the previous years’ tactical manual, screaming that there no such thing as a War on Christmas. I have dealt with this previously.
However, before the blood is really flowing, it is pleasant to remember those writers, not themselves Christians, who have written elegant and kindly pieces deploring this war. One is Burt Prelutsky, whose reward was to have his name mis spelled and his Jewishness impugned by Blumenthal. In 2006 I noted a particularly graceful article by Amity Shlaes:
Protestant Christians, with some notable exceptions, have been good hosts over the years to those of who don’t believe precisely the same things they do. In the U.S., the Christmas tree has earned a right to be a symbol of general tolerance.
And this year we have Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas by Jeffrey Goldberg The Atlantic 08 December 2008:
I’m perfectly happy living in a country that is populated mainly by Christians, particularly Christians who show nothing but acceptance for their fellow citizens who happen to follow other religions. So it doesn’t sit well with me that Christians now feel constrained to offer the anodyne "Happy Holidays" rather than a greeting that touches directly on the reason for our seasonal merriment.So, my Christian sisters and brothers, feel absolutely free to greet me with "Merry Christmas," and I'll greet you right back…The important thing is to not be afraid.
Unfortunately, Jeffrey Goldberg has subsequently had to deal with reality. Rudolph the Jewish-American Reindeer 10 Dec 2008 reports
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" caused a stir at a New Hanover County (North Carolina) school. A parent complained about the song’s religious reference and got it pulled from her child’s kindergarten Christmas show at Murrayville Elementary School. The song was pulled "because it had the word Christmas in it," said Rick Holliday, assistant school superintendent.A Jewish mother, who didn’t want her name published, objected to what she called "religious overtones" in the song. So the principal agreed to pull it from the program.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reinder causes stir at school WRAL.com Dec 9 2008
Goldberg points out that there is a whole genre of Christmas songs written by Jews in the middle decades of the 20th Century of which Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was one:
Why, you could almost say there’s a conspiracy by Jews to dominate the Christmas-jingle-writing industry!
New Hanover County is essentially Wilmington North Carolina, 80% White, 17% Black 2% Hispanic: Old America. Probably less than 1% is Jewish: no wonder the
Jewish mother…didn’t want her name published.
The VDARE.com reaction: The New Hanover School District bureaucrats are either despicable cowards or agents of evil. Complain to Dr. Rick Holliday, Assistant Superintendent, and Dr. Al Lerch, Superintendent.
This is a content archive of VDARE.com, which Letitia James forced off of the Internet using lawfare.