On Good Intentions and Privilege

[marlowe1]

Now for just a moment, let us ponder this lovely FB meme that has been going around like the plague. Who could ever have a problem with a meme telling people to be nice? I mean, isn't that just awful?

Ok. Loading the deck. In the fake "war on Xmas", this is the soft weapon of defense -

Comments

[rap541]

Unfortunealy I think this is a case of all the Christians getting slapped for what the "War on Christmas" crowd does.

I sometimes feel sorry for them when they complain about schools forbidding Christmas carols. Then I remember who started this, and yes it was them, and it was their attacks on public school sponsored halloween parties that were you know... teaching religion and converting their children.

Happy Yule :)

[marlowe1]

Happy Pagan Tree Festival

But I think that the issue is more about privilege. Some Christian acknowledge that not everyone celebrates Xmas and adjusts their greetings accordingly. Other Christians get VERY defensive.

It's a minor blip on the privilege radar, but it is amazing how much this echoes in the racism and sexism debates (where the term "check your privilege" becomes a tedious shorthand for valid discussions)

[rap541]

Yeah. I was watching Palin and O'Reilly on O'Reilly's show sort of congradulating themselves on not being offended when someone says "happy holidays" and then proceeding to throw hissys over kids not being allowed to sing Christmas carols and the whole "how awful it is that people actually question the town government spending money on a religious display that 60-80 percent of the town participate in".

On the other hand, when it comes to priveledge and checking it, I just accept that if that phrase gets thrown down, I might as well stop participating. I'm white and while not Christian, certainly "Christian descent" so I am priveledged.

[marlowe1]

Valid concept. Dumb way of saying it. There's a world of difference between "No, I don't think that you are personally racist or sexist but you have certain advantages that come from a racist and sexist society" and "Check your Privilege" (damnit, I am using the keyboard without the exclamation points) One is a discussion and the other one is a bully pulpit.

[sabotabby]

I'm honestly curious, are there schools where kids are banned from singing Christmas carols, or is that made up? Because I work in a school where the population is primarily Hindu and Muslim, and there's still a Christmas assembly with carols and a tree.

[rap541]

Not exactly. There are some schools that are choosing to not have religious Christmas songs at the "winter concert" rather than deal with the issue. Silent Night is a no, but RuDolf is cool. Kids aren't banned from singing carols, the schools are just choosing to not choose Christmas carols for songs in the official concerts.

[marlowe1]

On behalf of all the Jews (particularly Irving Berlin) I would like to say You're Welcome for coming up with all those non-Christian Xmas Carols.

[rap541]

Hee hee hee don't thank me, I am a tone deaf wonder. Trust me when I say it is possible for "Jingle Bells" to make someone cringe.

[bemused_leftist]

I'm white and while not Christian, certainly "Christian descent" so I am priveledged.

Hm? Priveledged meaning 'allowed to not take offense'?

[bemused_leftist]

Then I remember who started this, and yes it was them, and it was their attacks on public school sponsored halloween parties that were you know... teaching religion and converting their children.

Are you sure of the sequence there? It was in the early 1960s that O'Hair et al stopped prayer and Bible reading in public schools. Do you have a source for successful anti-Halloween stuff before that?

[marlowe1]

I never saw Halloween themed stuff in my school, but the religious crap was always front and center. i was a Christian then so it didn't matter, but it's still irksome.