Attacking the holidays

Dear Jerry Falwell -

Happy Holidays

Scott

I propose a campaign where you and I send Falwell messages of Happy Holidays, just to get under his skin. Because his latest is just ridiculous:

Evangelical Christian pastor Jerry Falwell has a message for Americans when it comes to celebrating Christmas this year: You're either with us, or you're against us.

Falwell has put the power of his 24,000-member congregation behind the "Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign," an effort led by the conservative legal organization Liberty Counsel. The group promises to file suit against anyone who spreads what it sees as misinformation about how Christmas can be celebrated in schools and public spaces.

I remember when it was the right that was all amped against trial lawyers. Now, they're the right's new best friends:

"It's a sad day in America when you have to retain an attorney to say 'Merry Christmas,' " said Mike Johnson, an Alliance Defense Fund attorney in Louisiana who will push the Christmas cause.

And it's a sad day in America when Mike Johnson must resort to undue hyperbole.

Anyone can say Merry Christmas. I just did there. And no one is threatening suit. If stores want to wish people Happy Holidays, that's their right, too. It's called free speech. I think it's covered here. Somewhere near the top. And it makes sense from a business standpoint, too. Being more inclusive of customers will encourage all customer's patronage, which means the latest from Falwell and company is more anti-business than anything else.

The latest stores they have their sights on is Target. Or rather, they are focusing on Target once again because their stores do not have Merry Christmas prominently displayed in their stores:

"[People who aren't Christian] can walk right by the sign," [American Family Association President Tim] Wildmon said. "It's a federal holiday. If someone is upset by that, well, they should know that they are living in a predominantly Christian nation."

Apparently, however, Wildmon and company can't walk on by Happy Holidays signs and understand that Christmas is, in fact, a holiday that the stores want him to be happy on. And that people of all denominations need to shop during what's known as the "holiday season."

Where's Wildmon shopping next weekend? "Wal-Mart," he said.

But Wal-Mart just issued a statement declaring that they, too, will continue to say Happy Holidays rather than honor Wildmon's wish of Merry Christmas.

And I wish I could be there when his greeter does as much this weekend.