Meandering Missive: All the nuts aren't in the trees...

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

All the nuts aren't in the trees...

...they're on the STREETS and in the STORES!

How sad that a month like December, which is supposed to be about peace, love, giving and festivity, brings out the absolute WORST in some people! :(

First, the nuts on the streets
In the last 2 weeks, I've seen more bad drivers than I've seen in the prior 50 weeks of this year! Not surprisingly, I've also seen more accidents too -- from fender-benders to major injury accidents (or at least ones that LOOK like there were major injuries, judging from the cars!) In fact, I just saw one today on the northbound side of Hwy 85, just up from Cottle Road. Good thing Kaiser Hospital is nearby!

You name the automobile-related offense; I've seen/heard it multiple times the past 2 weeks on the freeways, highways and even the city streets: speeding, speeding and weaving, tailgating, excessive honking, talking (and playing with) cellphones, dirty looks, not letting merging traffic in, driving on the shoulder, not using turn signals, and sharply and recklessly zooming in and out of traffic like the title character of the 1980s video game classic, Frogger . (cool graphic, that!)

I've NEVER seen it this bad, and I don't really understand why it's worst in 2005 than in previous years. If you can offer a good excuse for why anyone behind the wheel of a deadly weapon should engage in sheer recklessness, thoughtlessness, rudeness and near-insanity, please let me know! In the meantime, I'm getting downright AFRAID to drive anywhere until January, and I'm not kidding! :( And this from someone who is normally very optimistic and idealistic.

Now, the nuts in the stores
I don't like offending anyone, and usually bend over backwards NOT to, but I'd like to tell the "holiday boycotters" to get a life! I find it hard to fathom that some folks have NOTHING better to do than boycott Sears, Wal-Mart, Target and whatever other stores/companies are wishing customers "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas". I know some ultra-right-wing Christians feel American society has become too secularized, especially around Christmas. I agree they have every right to feel that way, and I can easily imagine that if I were an ultra-conservative Christian, I'd feel that way too.

However, I think they need to get down off their high horses! Can you imagine the GOOD they could do if they devoted all their time, money and energy to volunteering/community service instead of these knee-jerk campaigns to boycott stores, spread negative publicity about said stores, rile up the troops, etc.?

I especially want to address Fox News anchor John Gibson, who has written a diatribe called "The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday is Worse than You Thought." This is one of the most asinine things I've heard all year! First of all, Mr. Gibson, since Christianity is the overwhelmingly dominant religion in the U.S., that means there are LARGE numbers of liberals who are also Christian, and who celebrate Christmas. You are guilty of great PREJUDICE and STEREOTYPING if you think that all liberals are against Christmas! Most liberals, whether Christian or any other religion (or no religion at all) are NOT against Christmas! Shame on you for thinking so hatefully and unfairly! "Let he who is free of blame cast the first stone."

And as for Gibson's misguided notion that there is a "PLOT" afoot to "BAN" the most popular holiday in America -- well -- that's the worst, most flimsy, and most hilarious conspiracy theory I've ever heard in my life!!! All I have to say to Gibson about that is this: perhaps you should see a psychiatrist or psychologist for your DELUSIONAL DISORDER and your IRRATIONAL PARANOIA!

At any rate, I am no longer addressing Mr. Gibson. He's not worth me getting all worked up over (tho I'm already worked up). Back to the thing about Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas -- if you're Christian and someone tells you "Happy Holidays," you can still totally identify with that saying. You might prefer to hear "Merry Christmas," but "Happy Holidays" means Christmas to you anyway, so what's the big deal? You're still getting a festive wish.

However, let's say you belong to one of the many OTHER religions in the U.S., such as (in alphabetical order so I don't -- oh my gosh -- OFFEND anyone!!) -- Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Native American beliefs, Paganism, Shintoism, Sikhism, Taoism, Wicca or Zoroastrianism. There are also agnostics and atheists, and if you think there aren't large numbers of those, you have your head in the sand.

If you follow any of the above religions, or no religion, and someone tells you "Happy Holidays," you can still identify with it, because it's a greeting of friendliness, happiness and hope. There's nothing offensive in it. Especially since there's NO denying that several holidays take place in December, whether you observe them or not: Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa and New Year's Eve.

HOWEVER, if you follow any of the above religions, or no religion, and someone tells you "Merry Christmas," that's something you CAN'T identify with. Not that it's anything bad either. I personally do NOT feel members of non-Christian religions (or no religion) should feel offended when wished "Merry Christmas," because the Christmas-wisher obviously means well, and probably has no idea WHAT religion the other person follows. But, I can see why some non-Christians might feel offended, or at least feel excluded, by such a wish. Hence, we have "Happy Holidays" which is supposed to offend NO ONE.

And yet it seems to offend certain extremist Christians to the point that they are RUINING the holiday season by taking up arms (figuratively, of course, lest someone accuse me of libel!) and wasting their time boycotting stores for saying something as evil and HORRID as "Happy Holidays." Since when did that phrase become the demonization or demoralization of America?!? Stores (and people) who say "Happy Holidays" are only trying to be FESTIVE and FRIENDLY and find some type of COMMON GROUND way to wish everyone a good December! Give me a break!!

Sorry I wrote such a rant. *blush* Between the bad drivers and the boycotters, I have very little patience left. But, I do feel a lot better now that I blogged about it! *grin*

Today I am feeling several things; interpret the faces as you wish!

posted by ScaryShari @ 9:14 PM

1 Comments:

At 8:49 PM, Anonymous said…

Amen to this blog entry! Shari has said things alot of us would like to say but are afraid to say it!

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