It looks like this ridiculous media-driven “war on Christmas”crap has finally run its course, despite what our CongressmanHenry Brown is doing to whip it up again. As if we didn’t have enough to worry about, what with the economy gone to hell, two wars and melting ice caps, the Hick from Hanahan introduceda congressional resolution, which you can see for yourself athttp://brown.house.gov/apps/list/press/sc01_brown/120809SanctityofChristmas.shtml
As Christmas approaches, I have introduced a resolution that recognizes the importance of Christmas symbols and traditions and also expresses support for the use of these symbols and traditions by those who celebrate this holiday. Furthermore, the resolution expresses disapproval of all attempts to ban or limit references to Christmas.
We must not forget that the true meaning of Christmas is to celebrate of the birth of Christ and I will continue to work to protect the sanctity of this great holiday.
According to Slate.com, the war on Christmas is already overand Henry is flogging a dead horse: www.slate.com/id/2238994?nav=wp
Because the furor was media-driven in the first place, media mentions seem as good a metric as any. After 2005, Google Trends shows a continuous decline in searches for and mentions of the “war on Christmas.” Media mentions of a “war on Christmas” have fallen steadily as well, according to Nexis: There were 431 articles mentioning it as of Dec. 17, 2006; 187 by that time in 2007; 155 in 2008; and 97 in 2009. Even Fox News, the network that pushed the story in the winter of 2005, has essentially stopped talking about it: At this time in 2005, Fox had aired 80 episodes explicitly referring to the “war on Christmas”; in 2006, there were 24; in 2007, 11; in 2008, five; and three so far this year. The departure in 2008 of Fox News host John Gibson, who penned The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot To Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday Is Worse Than You Thought, may have had something to do with it.
Here’s another take on the war on Christmas, courtesy of Timemagazine:
www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1947590,00.html Here’s a snippet:
There’s a war on Christmas, the conservative commentator recently reminded viewers, driven by those who “loathe the baby Jesus.” This season, a holiday-décor company is marketing the CHRIST-mas Tree, a bushy artificial tree with a giant cross where the trunk should be. And the Colorado-based nonprofit Focus on the Family is continuing its Stand for Christmas campaign to highlight the offenses of Christmas-denying retailers. The campaign was launched, according to its website, because “citizens across the nation were growing dissatisfied with the tendency of corporations to omit references to Christmas from holiday promotions.”
And for something really refreshing, something that might actually bring a little peace on Earth and good will toward mankind thisChristmas season, see this YouTube video from the Advent Conspiracy:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVqqj1v-ZBU
Whatever you call the season — Christmas, Hanakkuh, Yule, solstice — I hope it is happy and safe and leaves you rested and ready for a newyear. Love Best of Charleston? Help the Charleston City Paper keep Best of Charleston going every year with a donation. Or sign up to become a member of the Charleston City Paper club.