Posted on 12/16/2011 12:59:19 PM PST by SeekAndFind
What next? The folks in charge of franking congressional mail refuse to allow our elected representatives to wish us a merry Christmas. Lest you vainly hope, as I did at first, that this is a noble attempt to demonstrate fiscal restraint, let me disabuse you of that idea. At first glance, the rules appear merely to ban holiday greetings when those greetings are “the primary purpose of the communication.” That makes sense. I don’t want my Congressman to use my tax dollars to send out his family’s Christmas letter. But, as it turns out, not even incidental use of the phrase “Merry Christmas” is permissible. “Happy Holidays,” however, is. The Washington Examiner’s Mark Tapscott summarizes nicely:
A franking commission spokesman confirmed to The Washington Examiner that Members of Congress indeed cannot wish constituents “Merry Christmas” in any official mailing.
“Currently, incidental use of the phrase Happy Holidays is permissible but Merry Christmas is not,” said Salley Wood.
So it’s true, the elected representatives of the nation that puts “In God We Trust” on its currency are not permitted to use the greeting that has likely been uttered by every living adult American at least once in their lifetimes.
Just another demonstration that political correctness and freedom of speech, faith and thought are utterly incompatible.
An unrelated by related thought for both the PC police and that particular brand of atheist who finds public Nativity displays offensive: Freedom from religion isn’t really possible. Why? Let’s think about it for a moment. What is religion, really, but an attempt to grapple with certain inescapable, inevitable, unavoidable, pesky, problematic questions that plague all of us at one time or another? Questions like: Who am I? Why am I here? What is the meaning of life? And, above all: What happens when we die? Adults sometimes like to toss these questions aside as adolescent incoherence, but they’re not adolescent, even if they are elementary. Not everybody accepts divine revelation, but everybody has a suspicion of an answer to these questions. Let’s work with the last one, as that’s inexplicably the simplest. What happens when we die? Few of us can speak from experience. But, in general, people believe one of two things about it. Either we enter a different kind of existence or we simply cease to exist. Either of those beliefs is the foundation for an eschatology of sorts. Which eschatology you choose, in turn, informs your soteriology. If you believe in existence after death, you will likely seek some kind of eternal salvation — a happy otherworldly existence, in other words — and that will likely require some kind of savior. If you don’t, you’ll look for some kind of salvation here on earth (progress, perhaps, or utopia). Your eschatology and soteriology will inform your morality … and so on and so forth until you have adopted for yourself some kind of rudimentary religion. It might not be the right one — it might not be true — but it’s a religion, nevertheless. It’s no good to seek to avoid every reminder of the questions you don’t want to ask yourself. They’re inside of you, waiting to ambush when a loved one dies or when a child is born or when you lose a job or gain one. The only mature way to grapple with them is to embrace them, to follow where they lead. Those people seeking freedom from religion would be surprised at the freedom they’d find if they would.
Betcha they would have no problem with “A Blessed Eid”.
so what happens to them if they do?
fines and suspensions?
If they can’t say Merry Christmas but only Happy Holiday.....which holiday is it? Since when can the government tell others, even Congressmen, what they can and can’t say?
Happy Non-Denominational Holiday Day to you all, inshallah!
/barf
RE: so what happens to them if they do?
fines and suspensions?
_________________________
If this news is true, I would applaud and support ANY Congressman who would courageously VIOLATE this idiotic and unconstitutional rule.
I’d even applaud him further if he DEFIANTLY REFUSES to pay a find and INSISTS that the rule be changed.
I’ll bet you he has the popular support.
RE: so what happens to them if they do?
fines and suspensions?
_________________________
If this news is true, I would applaud and support ANY Congressman who would courageously VIOLATE this idiotic and unconstitutional rule.
I’d even applaud him further if he DEFIANTLY REFUSES to pay a fine and INSISTS that the rule be changed.
And if he gets suspended, I would applaud him even further if he risks jail to get INTO Congress.
I’ll bet you he has the popular support if he goes to jail.
I would assume those peon GS grade government employees of the Legislative Branch mail office aren't unilaterally making this decision and the order came from higher up. The Speaker of the House should have the final call. Perhaps this a leftover from the Pelosi house? Maybe someone should forward this to Boehners office?
Such questions are those that most of us don't like to think about. But thinking about them is a necessary part of being human. Atheists/agnostics, by excluding the idea of the supernature, would force any discussion to follow their line of thinking. This is just as intolerant as the thinking of the Spanish Inquisitors.
Please accept without obligation, explicit or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, politically correct, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion or secular practice of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions.
Please also accept, under aforesaid waiver of obligation on your part, our best wishes for a financially successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of this calendar year of the Common Era, but with due respect for the calendars of all cultures or sects, and for the race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform or dietary preference of the wishee.
By accepting this greeting you acknowledge that:
This greeting is subject to further clarification or withdrawal at the wishor’s discretion.
This greeting is freely transferable provided that no alteration shall be made to the original greeting and that the proprietary rights of the wishor are acknowledged.
This greeting implies no warranty on the part of the wishors to fulfill these wishes, nor any ability of the wishors to do so, merely a beneficent hope on the part of the wishors that they in fact occur.
This greeting may not be enforceable in certain jurisdictions and/or the restrictions herein may not be binding upon certain wishees in certain jurisdictions and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wishors.
This greeting is warranted to perform as reasonably may be expected within the usual application of good tidings, for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first.
The wishor warrants this greeting only for the limited replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wishor.
Any references in this greeting to “the Lord”, “Father Christmas”, “Our Saviour”, or any other festive figures, whether actual or fictitious, dead or alive, shall not imply any endorsement by or from them in respect of this greeting, and all proprietary rights in any referenced third party names and images are hereby acknowledged.
Sincerely,
Congresscritter WB
To finally get to use a cliche childhood schoolyard taunt, "Who died and elected a franking commission member to represent me?"
The elected representative of the People should not be told what (s)he can and cannot do by some minor commission member.
-PJ
1. This rule is stupid BUT:
2. Congressmen need to pay for their own mail. This is campaing material. Dont’ spend my money to do it.
3. It’s tacky to use religion as a political tool (which is exactly what any kind of holiday card from your Congressman is, unless he or she is actually kin or your friend.).
People in the NorthEast don’t need to be concerned with this, not one of the members of Congress from the NE cares about Christ anyhow.
Congress will probably be the only place on earth with no missing after Rapture.
This is insanity.
There is no vaguely plausible interpretation of the "Establishment Clause" of the Constitution that would allow a court to interpret a member of Congress' use of the words "Merry Christmas" in their constituent mail as being akin to an establishment of a state religion.
Furthermore, Christmas is a religious holiday that is also celebrated - and has long been celebrated in America - as a public one, occasioning the closing of businesses and places of public accommodation.
This is not merely a matter of political correctness run amok, but a symptom of an organized War on Faith at the hands of an increasingly aggressive secularist (and "Progressive") minority.
As such, it is also a war on both free speech and the free exercise of religion, inalienable rights guaranteed in the same Constitution now being subject to disregard at best, and abuse at worst.
So: Merry Christmas! (from a Jewish FRiend here in NH).
If I were there I would include "Allah Akbar" in all caps in all my messages just for spite. You realize that would be completely kosher to the religious police. (all puns intended)
Wheres the Congress-person who says Merry Christmas and dares anybody to do anything about it?..
Flaunts it and dares them!!!.. I would love to be prosecuted for that “crime”..
Tell them: no “Merry Christmas” — no contribution.
thanks, but wasn’t mine.
cut and paste from an old email from happy olden days
franking is bad for the ground water ,too!!!
ban franking!!
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