Read It and Weep: Roland Martin Xmas

[God Stewart]

I came across this today and had to share:

Roland Martin on CNN

First, I will say it's high time that someone took a stand on this. Usually someone writes an editorial like this around December 7th every year but, since no one stepped up to the plate, it was up to Roland.

Second, is Roland Martin in the fifth grade? This is some of the worst writing I've ever seen. I thought editorials were meant to have at least some elements of logical debate.

Third, what planet is this happening on:

From CNN.com

What the heck are "Seasons Greetings"? Can someone tell me what season we are greeting folks about? A Christmas tree? Oh, no! It's now a holiday tree. Any Christmas song that even remotely mentions Christ or has a religious undertone is being axed for being overtly religious.
 

Has anyone ever heard anyone call their Christmas tree a "Holiday Tree?" And the last part about religious songs ambiguously being "axed" certainly doesn't pertain to the light rock station I'm forced to listen to at work all day. They luvs the Jesus.
 

[Laurie]

Hey, guys, let's chip in and send this dude that Sufjan Stevens box set. Every other song on there mentions Jesus or three kings or something like that.

Also, it's called a Chanukah bush, Roland. Have some respect.

[God Stewart]

That was the other thing that drove me nuts. The little paragraph about, "Hey, I'm not saying we should be afraid to discuss Hanukkah or the Muslims' pilgrimage," which he doesn't discuss at all. Then he dangles this sentence at the end which he never ellaborates on:

 

again from CNN.com

In fact, Americans are so ignorant of other faiths that we can all learn from one another.

That's the worst. It's like he gave a little tip of his hat to those other guys so that now he can get back to his rant without seeming like a jerk. I hate that.

Ugh. No likey.

[Vambo]

Damn, I read "Rowan Martin" and thought this was gonna be about the Laugh-In guys.

[senorcorazon]

I think this is part of the Bill O'Reilly Mad Libs Rant Book. You put in a few words like immigrants and feminazis and it generates the most generic, asinine, dull column ever written. This stinks of the type of writing I used to do for my college newspaper when I got paid by the word. 

[Chris L]

Someone send this guy a telegram: O'Reilly already declared the War on Christmas over this year and himself the winner.

[Sarah]

The article certainly does seem behind the times (wasn't it last year that all the "happy holidays" bullshit was really prevalent?), and he should have researched "Xmas" more carefully.  Still, judging from this thread, I expected to hate every word he wrote, and instead I found myself agreeing with him about all the Christmas consumption.  I don't give a hoot whether people think of Jesu Christo at this time of year, but I sure wish they'd stop all the frantic buying. 

[Laurie]

Either way, it's not Jesus's birthday. It's the birthday of the Unconquerable Sun.

[Sarah]

That reminds me:  I should have a little celebration tomorrow.

Happy solstice, everyone!

[erika]

Damn, I read "Rowan Martin" and thought this was gonna be about the Laugh-In guys.

Haha me too!

SOCK IT TO ME, CHRISTMAS!

[buffcoat]

The article certainly does seem behind the times (wasn't it last year that all the "happy holidays" bullshit was really prevalent?), and he should have researched "Xmas" more carefully.  Still, judging from this thread, I expected to hate every word he wrote, and instead I found myself agreeing with him about all the Christmas consumption.  I don't give a hoot whether people think of Jesu Christo at this time of year, but I sure wish they'd stop all the frantic buying. 

I was thinking about this earlier this month:  What do you think would happen to the world's economies/world economy if Americans simply didn't buy anything for Christmas.

It would be a complete disaster, which is bad for all of us who aren't sort-of-hermits.  So Keep the Consumeristic Orgy Going, America!

[Sarah]

No, no, America, give up the consumeristic orgy and see what happens!  I bet it would all work out for the better in the end.

[erika]

But I love shopping for presents as much as I like getting them.

Yay presents! Yay stuff!

[Amplituden]

Either way, it's not Jesus's birthday. It's the birthday of the Unconquerable Sun.

Are you referring to Mithras?

[Sarah]

I hate to make an enemy of a supercaller, but . . .

BOO, STUFF!!!! BOO, EXCESS!!!! BOO, SELF-INDULGENCE, GLUTTONY, AND HEDONISM AT THE EXPENSE OF THE REST OF THE WORLD!!!!