Greetings from South Carolina. I’m visiting family for a few days, it being the holidays and all. While driving through town this evening, my brother and I were flipping the radio stations and briefly stopped on talk radio. The host was rehashing a story in the news–major thanks to anyone who can find this for me online, it’s midnight and it’s been a long day–about a woman who deals with the public for her job (the exact job escapes me). The story revolved around her being fired for refusing the follow company protocol.

According to the story, the company states that employees need to use the politically correct term of “Happy Holidays” when dealing with customers. Fair enough, and pretty much standard these days. However, the woman was highly offended at being forced to–in her eyes–diminish the value of Christmas (she is a Christian) in relation to the other holidays of the season, making it equal. From her perspective, she should be allowed to say “Merry Christmas” and bah humbug to those who do not celebrate this most joyous of holidays. Accordingly, she was fired for failing to adhear to company policy. I for one say good for her employer for sticking to his policies. Sadly, the story continues that the woman is now pressing charges and seeks damages (on what grounds I dunno). No doubt the woman will get some level of damages…

In any case, this really says a lot about how people view this season, and political correctness seems to crop up every season. This supposed “War on Christmas” and its defenders cry afoul of absolutely any holiday mention besides their own. They refuse to acknowledge any holidays from the season except their own.

Get over yourselves! I’m not one to be passing judgement, but this is ridiculous. Just because someone says “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” is not demeaning to Christmas. It isn’t pretending Christmas doesn’t exist, nor is it trying to make Christmas any less important. It is simply a non-denominational greeting in this time of year in which many people tend to celebrate, both religious and secular, Christian and non-Christian. Those people who see this as a put down to Christmas need to remember, realize, and accept that there are in fact celebrations during the month of December besides their own. These non-Christmas-celebrating people, regardless their faith (or lack thereof) have every full right to celebrate the holiday of their choosing without the pesky requirement that they be lumped into Christmas, rather than the more-inclusive “Happy Holidays. And for those who think a “Merry Christmas” is putting down their non-Christmas-holiday-of-choice, you need to not be offended as well.

In short: political correctness sucks and makes needless issues. Happy December everyone.

[EDIT: Just found the story, not too sure on the source however. Anyone got a better link?]