This morning, I was buying a cup of coffee when the Muslim store manager wished me "Merry Christmas". Normally I would have said Merry Christmas back to him, but I asked him instead if, as a Muslim, that would "offend" him. I guess that after living in a society with PC Police on the march everywhere, I have succumbed to their efforts. My friend the store manager laughed and said that it would be fine. Then he told me of a few instances in which he had said Merry Christmas to a customer only to be met with a tirade in response. One man said that he was Jewish and that no one had the right to wish him a merry Christmas. He told the manager that the proper thing to say was "Happy Holidays." Another customer told the manager that mentioning Christmas was an endorsement of religion that had no place in commerce. (My guess is that this customer must listen to NPR. Who else would talk about "commerce"?) A third customer said that she did not want to be assaulted by "Merry Christmas" everywhere she went.
My suggestion to these folks is simple: "Loosen up!" We live in a society that is supposedly multicultural. That means that every culture, including the dominant one, should be tolerated.
So, in the spirit of the season, let me just say this: Merry Christmas to all; Happy Channukah; Kwanza Greetings and Belated good wishes for Ramadan.
I will not be posting again until after Christmas. See you all next week.
No comments:
Post a Comment