Here we go again with PC

United States
December 5, 2008 2:17pm CST
Okay, I know this has been brought up before, but I want to rant! Thanks in advance for reading! I find almost all mylotters intellectually stimulating so I'm open to your remarks. This morning, the first headline I came across (on web news) was about the retailers panic over being politically correct this holiday season. AGAIN. Is anyone els so sick of the exagerated PC efforts that they just want to scream??!! Specific point: "Christmas" vs. "Holiday" Retailers actually spend time and money doing research on this point! Advertising either "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays", choosing the right slogan, affects their sales. Employees at stores/resturants won't even respond to anything except "happy holidays" even if "merry Christmas" is said directly to them! I just think that in the effort not to insult some over sensitive person, everyone has become afraid to open their mouths, they're bitter and have lost the zest of being joyful... and in a lot of cases, being PC has increased rudeness in America! I mean seriously, a little old lady or a rosy cheeked child says "Merry Christmas" and they get a stiff "Happy Holidays" in return??!! There are so many things a person could say to correct w/o ruining the spirit of the will-wishers. "Oh, I celebrate Hanukkah/Quanza/Yule (whatever) but thank you for the well wishes." OR how about a simple "Thank you, you too." I'm not saying there isn't a point to being PC - but it's way overboard! I respect that there are millions out there who would rather be wished "Happy Hanukkah" than "Merry Christmas" and vice versa. But WHY can more people just acknowledge the spirit of the well wish, say "thank you" and move on??!! Accept that a person who goes out of their way to extend a "Happy" wish is doing so only to let you know that they wish you a "Happy" - they're not trying to insult anyone or disrespect anyone's believes or trying to exclude anyone's celebrations! Also, PC is turing us into hypocrits! EX: you can't display the 10 Commandments on the front lawn of a courthouse but you have to swear on the bible in the witness chair. OKAY. I'm done. Thanks for 'listening'
2 responses
SantaPants
@SantaPants (81)
•
9 Oct 09
I think politcal correctness in this sense is going the wrong way. If you remove the ability to say anything someone somewhere may not believe in then what are we left with? We'll have to change almost everything and we'd be left with a grey uninspired world! Take a train station ticket office for instance: Teller: "Where would you like to travel to today sir?" Customer: "How dare you!!! The theory of relitivity clearly shows that all movement is relative to the universe around me, it is not simply I that is moving, but the universe around me! So it is not only I that is travelling to somewhere, it is somewhere also travelling to me!!!" Teller: "How dare YOU sir! I completely reject the theory of relitivity and all that it stands for, the universe revolves around the earth!" That's a silly example of course that will not happen, but in all honesty where is the path of political correctness actually heading? Probably not to a perfect eutopia where all is equal, but an opressive society where noones view is welcome any more. I think instead of removing the ability to say Merry Christmas, they should add to it instead, imbracing other idea. "Have a very Merry Christmas or joyous Hanukkah" could be one thing to add to a sign
kkthom3
@kkthom3 (279)
• United States
5 Dec 08
I agree that some people are spending way too much time and energy trying to be PC. I am a Christian so I love hearing Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays and I don't see why that should offend anyone else. Merry Christmas isn't a negative comment and its not putting down any other religion so I see no prblem with it. In fact, lately I have seen plenty of commercials with Merry Christmas on them. Target, Walmart, and Hallmark. It definitely puts me more in the giving mood when I heard Merry Christmas rather than Happy Holidays.