The War On Christmas – An Historical Perspective

Ken AshfordGodstuffLeave a Comment

Think Progress says the whole thing is old whine in new bottles:

The right-wing’s “War on Christmas” conspiracy rhetoric isn’t at all new, though the scapegoats have changed some.

In the 1921 screed “The International Jew: The World’s Foremost Problem,” automaker and notorious anti-Semite Henry Ford observed that “most people had a hard time finding Christmas cards that indicated in any way that Christmas commemorated Someone’s Birth.” He noted menacingly, “Now, all this begins with the designers of the cards.”

Later, the Soviet Union and the United Nations were fingered for plotting to undermine Christmas. A 1959 John Birch Society pamphlet stated, “One of the techniques now being applied by the Reds to weaken the pillar of religion in our country is the drive to take Christ out of Christmas — to denude the event of its religious meaning.” The writer sounded the alarm: “Department stores throughout the country are to utilize UN symbols and emblems as Christmas decorations.”

As Salon.com’s Michelle Goldberg writes, “To compare today’s ‘war on Christmas’ demagogues to Henry Ford is not to call them anti-Semites.” Yet Jews are not entirely absent from their campaign.

Fox’s Bill O’Reilly to Jewish caller: “You have a predominantly Christian nation. … And you don’t wanna hear about it? Come on, [caller] — if you are really offended, you gotta go to Israel.”

Fox’s John Gibson: “The wagers of this war on Christmas are a cabal of secularists, so-called humanists, trial lawyers, cultural relativists, and liberal, guilt-wracked Christians — not just Jewish people.”

More importantly, those who warn of a “War on Christmas” these days promote a conspiracy theory “that repeatedly crops up in America,” in which the “scheme is always massive, reaching up to the highest levels of power.”

In O’Reilly’s words, “There’s a very secret plan…to diminish Christian philosophy in the U.S.A”; in Gibson’s telling, “I began to connect the dots and discerned the outlines of the conspiracy.”

I think this is what is at the core of the "War on Christmas" crusaders.  It is not a counterattack against a perceived "attack on Christ" — it is, at its core, bigotry against non-Christians (whether they be atheist or members of other faiths).

The State of Iraqi Troops

Ken AshfordIraqLeave a Comment

Last week, President Bush explained how the Iraqi troops were getting better trained, which meant good news for U.S. troops’ withdrawal (because as Iraqi troops stand up, our troops will stand down).  As I pointed out before, what Bush said was a lie.

And now he is being flatly contradicted . . . by the Iraqis:

The training of Iraqi security forces has suffered a big "setback" in the last six months, with the army and other forces being increasingly used to settle scores and make other political gains, Iraqi Vice President Ghazi al-Yawer said Monday.

Al-Yawer disputed contentions by U.S. officials, including President Bush, that the training of security forces was gathering speed, resulting in more professional troops.

[***]

But al-Yawer said recent allegations that Interior Ministry security forces — dominated by Shiites — have tortured Sunni detainees were evidence that many forces are increasingly politicized and sectarian. Some of the recently trained Iraqi forces focus on settling scores and other political goals rather than maintaining security, he said.

In addition, some Iraqi military commanders have been dismissed for political reasons, rather than judged on merit, he said.

He said the army — also dominated by Shiites — is conducting raids against villages and towns in Sunni and mixed areas of Iraq, rather than targeting specific insurgents — a tactic he said reminded many Sunnis of Saddam Hussein-era raids.

"Saddam used to raid villages," using security forces, he said. "This is not the way to do it."

Meet the new boss — same as the old boss.

Bush In Kernersville

Ken AshfordBush & Co., RepublicansLeave a Comment

President Bush is paying a stop to K-Vegas (aka "Kernersville") today — in fact, he’s here now — and nobody cares.

OTHER LOCAL GOP NEWS:  The head of the Wake Republican Men’s club, Chris Mintz, is running for office . . . as a Democrat:

Mintz, 30, said he decided to leave the Republican Party because he thinks it is too focused on social issues rather than on economic issues. He also said the GOP is becoming less tolerant of different viewpoints.

More here.

Carnival Of The War On Christmas

Ken AshfordGodstuffLeave a Comment

BakeoffThe World O’Crap folks have done a nice run-down of some of the recent commentaries from conservatives who are fighting against the so-called "War on Christmas".  It’s a very funny piece, so read it.  Here’s an excerpt:

And wrapping up our carnival will be Mr. "Somewhere, Baby Jesus Is Weeping Because Everybody Keeps Picking on Me for Defending Christmas" O’Reilly himself, with "Christmas Under Siege From Secular Forces."

Corporate America should get down on its knees and thank God that the baby Jesus was born 2,000 plus years ago.

Like it says in the Bible, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son in order to help corporate America with its fourth quarter profits."

But sadly, corporate America isn’t showing the proper gratitude to Jesus for his gift to consumerism — and Bill isn’t going to stand for it!  Either the various department stores prove to Bill that they are using "Merry Christmas" in their advertising, or he will crush them like the insects they are!

Frankly, the executives who have banished Christmas from their advertising are insane. By doing that, they are offending tens of millions of traditional Americans who respect the Christmas season and want it called exactly what it is — Christmas.

[…]

The incredibly dense grinches that run many American companies are so infected with political correctness, so afraid somebody might complain about the word "Christmas" that they throw the baby Jesus out with the bathwater.

King Herod tried that (because he hated Christmas too), and look what happened to him!

Well, humbug. You do that — I’m shopping elsewhere. Three wise men once came bearing gifts to honor a baby who would grow up to bring a great message to the world. If corporate chieftains are not wise enough to honor that message as well, they don’t deserve any Christmas cheer. Simple as that.

Yeah, the book of Matthew tell a beautiful story about an unnamed number of wise men from the East who honored the young child Jesus with merchandising programs designed to capitalize on his birth.  And unless the stores start respecting that, then Bill is going to drive them out of business, just to show that he can.  Simple as that.

UPDATE:  Blogger Cathy Young saw (and transcribed) this exchange on The O’Reilly Factor between His Blowhardness and a guy named Rev. Tim Bumgardner, a pastor in Wellington, Florida, who is fighting to have a nativity scene included in his town’s holiday display (which currently has a Christmas tree and a menorah).   This is how it went down:

Rev. Tim Bumgardner: I think they should put a Nativity scene — be American! Hey, celebrate Christmas — people spend more money! Jesus makes people want to spend money!

O’Reilly: I agree. I’m with you.

There was a time when people used to complain that commercialization was ruining the religious basis behind Christmas.  Now the complaint is that Jesus isn’t allowed to be commercialized enough.   Bizarre times we live in.

Foxwaronxmas1 MORE ON THE "WAR ON CHRISTMAS":  Many bloggers have noted the absurd segment on Fox News this weekend in which a panel responded to the stupid question: "Will there be an economic disaster if the liberals win the War on Christmas"?

The Green Knight, fed up with metaphorical wars, has the right response:

A grown human being should be embarrassed even airing such a ridiculous question in public. The question manages to lie, to smear, to fear-monger, and to make an absolute joke out of political and economic discourse all at the same time. Look at the false premises it’s based on:

* That there is a coherent group called "liberals" all working in concert.
* That none of them celebrates Christmas.
* That none of them wants anyone else to celebrate Christmas.
* That they are actively trying to stop businesses from using the word "Christmas."
* That they are actively trying to stop businesses from having Christmas sales.
* That businesses would ever stop having Christmas sales.
* That people could be forced to stop shopping for Christmas presents.
* That even if this preposterous set of events were to happen there would be no other reason for retailers to hold end-of-the year sales.
* That even if that event were to happen retailers would not immediately invent some other big sale season.

And there are many many others. All of those ludicrous assumptions and more would have to be true before that question even made any sense at all. The fact that the question even got aired for serious consideration means that a significant portion of American political discourse has departed so far from reality and good sense that there may be no bringing it back to sanity.

Yup.

Rape Victim Found Guilty

Ken AshfordCrime, Women's IssuesLeave a Comment

Yes, you read that write: rape victim found guilty.

Shakespeare’s Sister has been sounding the call on this story, and with good reason.  Here’s what happened, as reported here in the Oregonian:

BEAVERTON — A municipal judge found a 19-year-old woman guilty Friday of filing a false police report after she said she was raped by three young men.

Even though the woman never said she lied or recanted her story, city prosecutors say they took the unusual step of filing charges against her because of the seriousness of her accusations.

One can imagine how difficult it must be to come forward and accuse someone of rape.  Many rape victims, sadly, don’t.  The consequences of this case?  A further disincentive to bring rapists to justice.

As a lawyer, I’m trained to try and see all sides of things.  I would point out, for example, that there are women who falsely claim "rape".  And, I would argue, that it is in everybody’s best interest — including women’s — that such falsifiers be prosecuted.

But this particular case is far removed from any worthwhile social policy.  From all accounts,  the evidence that the rape charge was false was underwhelming.  As in most sexual crimes (or conflicts), there is an element of he said/she said, and there certainly was with this particular charge of rape.  However, the judge found the accused rapists to be "more credible", even though their stories were not consistent.

And this is (for me) the entire problem.  In criminal matters, guilt must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt.  The judge may sincerely and in good faith believe that the woman here was lying — i.e., that she was not raped.  Fine, I say.  The judge is entitled to his opinion.  But as a matter of law, can the judge actually claim that his opinion is absolutely correct . . . beyond a reasonable doubt? 

The judge noted that the rape victim (okay, fine — the alleged victim) didn’t "act traumatized" in the days following the rape.  I’m not exactly sure how one is supposed to act following a rape.  Is there a manual on this?  There are many degrees of rape — from date rape to violent rape.  And women, as a gender, are not all the same (obviously).  So taking those two factors together, I am pretty confident in saying that there is no single universal template for post-rape behavior.  This judge’s opinion to the contrary is, quite bluntly, sexism of the worst kind.

Setting The Record Straight

Ken AshfordGodstuffLeave a Comment

I’m getting a little tired of wingers saying, with no evidence whatsoever, that the ACLU is trying to remove religion from our lives.  Have these people ever bothered to find out what the ACLU position is on religious liberty?   

It’s quite simple: the ACLU believes that the right to practice religion, or not to practice religion, is one of the most important rights in the the Bill of Rights.

What does this mean in everyday terms?  It means that the government — from the federal government right down to the local school board — can neither promote religion, nor squelch its expression.  Pray tell, who has a problem with this?

And despite the lies from the wingnut right, the ACLU is very active in making sure that peoples’ rights to religious expression are protected.  Here are just a few of the ACLU’s efforts in this regard:

September 20, 2005: ACLU of New Jersey joins lawsuit supporting second-grader’s right to sing "Awesome God" at a talent show.

August 4, 2005: ACLU helps free a New Mexico street preacher from prison.

May 25, 2005: ACLU sues Wisconsin prison on behalf of a Muslim woman who was forced to remove her headscarf in front of male guards and prisoners.

February 2005: ACLU of Pennsylvania successfully defends the right of an African American Evangelical church to occupy a church building purchased in a predominantly white parish.

December 22, 2004: ACLU of New Jersey successfully defends right of religious expression by jurors.

December 14, 2004: ACLU joins Pennsylvania parents in filing first-ever challenge to "Intelligent Design" instruction in public schools.

November 20, 2004: ACLU of Nevada supports free speech rights of evangelists to preach on the sidewalks of the strip in Las Vegas.

November 12, 2004: ACLU of Georgia files a lawsuit on behalf of parents challenging evolution disclaimers in science textbooks.

November 9, 2004: ACLU of Nevada defends a Mormon student who was suspended after wearing a T-shirt with a religious message to school.

August 11, 2004: ACLU of Nebraska defends church facing eviction by the city of Lincoln.

July 10, 2004: Indiana Civil Liberties Union defends the rights of a Baptist minister to preach his message on public streets.

June 9, 2004: ACLU of Nebraska files a lawsuit on behalf of a Muslim woman barred from a public pool because she refused to wear a swimsuit.

June 3, 2004: Under pressure from the ACLU of Virginia, officials agree not to prohibit baptisms on public property in Falmouth Waterside Park in Stafford County.

May 11, 2004: After ACLU of Michigan intervened on behalf of a Christian Valedictorian, a public high school agrees to stop censoring religious yearbook entries.

March 25, 2004: ACLU of Washington defends an Evangelical minister’s right to preach on sidewalks.

February 21, 2003: ACLU of Massachusetts defends students punished for distributing candy canes with religious messages.

October 28, 2002: ACLU of Pennsylvania files discrimination lawsuit over denial of zoning permit for African American Baptist church.

July 11, 2002: ACLU supports right of Iowa students to distribute Christian literature at school.

April 17, 2002: In a victory for the Rev. Jerry Falwell and the ACLU of Virginia, a federal judge strikes down a provision of the Virginia Constitution that bans religious organizations from incorporating.

January 18, 2002: ACLU defends Christian church’s right to run "anti-Santa" ads in Boston subways.

Check out the next-to-last one: the ACLU and Falwell were on the same side!

So next time you hear the smear that ACLU has an anti-relilgion agenda, point out the lie.  The people making such claims don’t like the ACLU, because the ACLU believes in religious freedom for everybody, and that’s what makes the American Taliban so pissed.

RELATED:  This is what prompted this post — a conservative Christian effort to shame the ACLU by sending them "Merry Christmas" cards.  I’m not angered by the idea — I’m amused by it.  If they truly understood what the ACLU was about, they would see that the ACLU, rather than being shamed or tweaked, would simply smile at the receipt of a "Merry Christmas" card.  If the ACLU was smart, they would take these cards seriously, and write each one of the senders back . . . something like:

Dear Sir/Madam:

It was with great pleasure that we received your Christmas card this holiday season.   As you know, the ACLU is working hard to ensure religious freedom for all in this great country of ours.  That is why [list of successes and efforts to date].

We value your continued support, and encourage you to become a supporting member of the ACLU, if you are not one already.  Together, we can fight religious oppression whereever it exists.

Lowered Expectations

Ken AshfordBush & Co.Leave a Comment

Powerline Paul:

The latest Fox News poll shows that President Bush’s approval rating has risen by 6 percentage points during the past three weeks. It now stands at a not so lofty but not dreadful 42 percent.

42 percent — even if it is true — is dreadful, historically speaking (see, example, Clinton’s approval ratings through out his eight year term — almost never below 50% (and never as low as 42% in any poll) — and usually over 60%).  I guess the expectations for Bush are so low, even among his supporters, that 42% is good news.

Celebrity Voice Navigation Systems

Ken AshfordScience & TechnologyLeave a Comment

I have a voice navigation system in my car.  The woman’s voice is pleasant and anti-septic.  And that suits me fine.  She tells me to "turn left in 400 yards", and I do.  And if I don’t, she tells me to turn around, or she figures out another way to get to my destination.  It’s a nice relationship we have.

So, will someone tell me why I would want a voice navigation system containing the voice of Mr T?  Do I really want to hear "Hey, Fool . . . take a left in 400 yards"???

In Which I Actually Side With Religious Conservatives

Ken AshfordGodstuff, Sex/Morality/Family ValuesLeave a Comment

I have had — and will continue to have — a lot of fun mocking religious conservatives who complain endlessly about their values being under attack, simply because (for example) the people at Walmart say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas".  They talk about the "secular agenda", as if the ultimate goal of "librels" is to remove God from all discourse.  It’s silly, it’s paranoid, and it’s totally baseless.

But I finally came across something which actually is worthy of an outrage.  Granted, it’s a small fringe thing, but there it is nevertheless:

Group Collects Bibles, Passes Out Porn

A group of atheists at UTSA was asking students to exchange bibles for porn magazines Wednesday, and that has made some religious leaders angry. News 4 WOAI first broke the story at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

At a Wednesday night church service, The Bible is the bond between believers, but on the UTSA campus a group of students were calling scripture, smut.

“We consider The Bible to be a very negative force in the history of the world,” student Ryan Walker said. He is part of a student group calling itself the "Atheist Agenda."

Club members were on campus asking students to exchange religious materials for pornographic magazines like Black Label and Playboy.

C’mon, folks.  Is that necessary?  Atheistic proselytizing is just as annoying and unnecessary as religious proselytizing.  Stop it . . . and get a life.

Here’s the website of the atheist group.

Bush Lied

Ken AshfordBush & Co., IraqLeave a Comment

I’m talking now about the speech he gave yesterday.  Bush said:

The progress of the Iraqi forces is especially clear when the recent anti-terrorist operations in Tal Afar are compared with last year’s assault in Fallujah. In Fallujah, the assault was led by nine coalition battalions made up primarily of United States Marines and Army — with six Iraqi battalions supporting them…This year in Tal Afar, it was a very different story. The assault was primarily led by Iraqi security forces — 11 Iraqi battalions, backed by five coalition battalions providing support.

No, Mr. President.  The Tel Afar operation wasn’t led at all by Iraqi security forces, according to Times reporter Michael Ware, who was embedded with the troops during the actual assault:

I was in that battle from the very beginning to the very end. I was with Iraqi units right there on the front line as they were battling with al Qaeda. They were not leading. They were being led by the U.S. green beret special forces with them.

Think Progress has the details and video.

It Was 50 Years Ago Today…

Ken AshfordRaceLeave a Comment

…that Rosa Parks stayed sat in that bus seat.  New York is doing something very nice:

On Metropolitan Transportation Authority buses in New York City and Long Island, the seat behind the driver will be symbolically reserved for the late Parks, whose act of disobedience and subsequent arrest prompted a bus boycott and proved a major turning point in the country’s civil rights movement.

Above the seat there will be a poster of Parks, who died Oct. 24 at age 92, with the saying, "It All Started on a Bus."