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WAL-MART BANS CHRISTMAS: BOYCOTT LAUNCHED
Catholic League ^ | 9 November 2005 | William Donohue

Posted on 11/09/2005 11:50:22 AM PST by big'ol_freeper

WAL-MART BANS CHRISTMAS:

BOYCOTT LAUNCHED

A woman who recently complained to Wal-Mart that the store was replacing “Merry Christmas” with “Happy Holidays” received an e-mail response from Customer Service. It appears below in its exact form:

“Walmart is a world wide organization and must remain conscious of this. The majority of the world still has different practices other than ‘christmas’ which is an ancient tradition that has its roots in Siberian shamanism. The colors associated with ‘christmas’ red and white are actually a representation of of the aminita mascera mushroom. Santa is also borrowed from the Caucuses, mistletoe from the Celts, yule log from the Goths, the time from the Visigoth and the tree from the worship of Baal. It is a wide wide world.”

To which Catholic League president Bill Donohue says: “This statement was signed by someone called Kirby. When I read it, I thought he might be drunk. But I was wrong. We sent Kirby’s response to Wal-Mart’s headquarters only to find that Dan Fogleman, Senior Manager, Public Relations, agrees. After acknowledging that he read Kirby’s response, Fogleman said, in part, the following”:

“As a retailer, we recognize some of our customers may be shopping for Chanukah or Kwanza gifts during this time of year and we certainly want these customers in our stores and to feel welcome, just as we do those buying for Christmas. As an employer, we recognize the significance of the Christmas holiday among our family of associates…and close our stores in observance, the only day during the year that we are closed.”

Bill Donohue says: “It’s nice to know that Wal-Mart is closed on a federal holiday. Now here is why I am asking the leaders of 126 religious organizations that span seven religious communities to boycott Wal-Mart. Go to its website and search for Hanukkah and up come 200 items. Click on Kwanzaa and up come 77. Click on Christmas, and here’s what you get: ‘We’ve brought you to our ‘Holiday’ page based on your search.’ In other words, Wal-Mart is practicing discrimination.”


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 7970forchristmas; antichrsistmas; bigots; brooklynbridge; catholicleague; christianbashing; christianity; christians; christmas; credulity; email; fodderforsnopes; fraud; grinchstolechristmas; hatewalmartbs; hoax; makechinaricherbuywm; religion; religiousintolerance; urbanlegend; urbanmyth; walmart; waronchristmas
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To: Sensei Ern

I didn't have too much of a problem with it, until the night of the 23rd, when after closing some ahole through a rock the size of Gibralter through the door and cleaned out the store. I got there at 2am on the 24th, crime lab showed up at 6am and I was ready for biz at 9. Not my best holid, I mean, Christmas.


241 posted on 11/09/2005 1:05:34 PM PST by dmz
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To: MineralMan
"That does not sound like any corporate letter I've ever seen."

I agree. It doesn't sound like liberal corporate talk, but like a Christian fundamentalist screed against the alleged "paganism" of Christmas.
242 posted on 11/09/2005 1:06:14 PM PST by Steve_Seattle
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To: Lunatic Fringe

It definitely looks like Donohue jumped the gun on this. It's disturbing that the Senior Manager of Public Relations wouldn't distance himself from that supposed e-mail, however.


243 posted on 11/09/2005 1:06:25 PM PST by Rutles4Ever ("Fizellas! Looks like you guys are up to no good. Well, THIS gang used to be like that TOO, 3, 4)
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To: sockmonkey
A google search for "Santa" +"amanita ascera" +"christmas"

oops, typo- make that +"amanita mascera"

244 posted on 11/09/2005 1:06:30 PM PST by sockmonkey
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To: big'ol_freeper

I went to Target.com and searched on Christmas, Hanukah, and Kwanzaa. Here are the results:
Christmas 46913
Hanukah 52
Kwanzaa 298


245 posted on 11/09/2005 1:06:59 PM PST by ChessExpert (Protect the first amendment separation of school and state; support vouchers)
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To: I'm ALL Right!

Have you spent any time actually ~browsing~ the website? It's hard to search and not find references to Christmas.


246 posted on 11/09/2005 1:07:10 PM PST by HairOfTheDog (Join the Hobbit Hole Troop Support - http://freeper.the-hobbit-hole.net/ 1,000 knives and counting!)
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To: big'ol_freeper

"Walmart is a worldwide organization?"

That's it?

So why don't they have San Francisco 49ers wear in the DC area stores instead of Redskins and Ravens stuff?

Seems to me they can do a store-by-store "holiday" theme as well.


247 posted on 11/09/2005 1:07:32 PM PST by Fruitbat
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To: Sensei Ern

"THat is talking about carving it into a god and inlaying it with gold and silver, not leaving it as a tree. What self-respecting paganist would worship a tree that will put pine needles in their burbur rug that they would then snag in their foot in July because the Kirby didn't free it from it's velcro grip?"
Where in the Bible does it talk about celebrating Christmas?
I can't seem to find it in my Bible.


248 posted on 11/09/2005 1:07:55 PM PST by antisocial (Texas SCV - Deo Vindice)
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To: dmz

"Not my best holid, I mean, Christmas"

LOL!

Did the cameras get the guy on video? Please tell me that with all of the video equipment we sell you put some up for surviellance.

Did you catch him and prosecute him?

Did you recover much of the stolen merchandise?


249 posted on 11/09/2005 1:08:19 PM PST by Sensei Ern (Now, IB4Z! http://trss.blogspot.com/)
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past
Okay, so what about Christmas. But what about the minimum wage hike they are calling for?

Maybe discovering what Henry Ford discovered - you can do better business if your employees (and, by extension, OTHER businesses' employees) can afford to buy what you're selling. Impoverishing the working classes may not ultimately be good for business.

250 posted on 11/09/2005 1:09:05 PM PST by blaise
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Comment #251 Removed by Moderator

To: dirtstiff
Nice that they want to include everybody EXCEPT Christians.

Agree PC runs rampant - however - I hardly think Christians are being discriminated against - Our purpose in celebrating Christmas is not actually shopping, it's celebrating the Birth of Jesus. I don't really care if the store recognizes that in it's website or not - We're downsizing on the gift giving anyway - it's reached a ridiculous amount of gifts for the kids - and things that aren't necessary and go unused for the adults.

252 posted on 11/09/2005 1:09:24 PM PST by justche (Many at FR would respond to Christ "Damn straight, I'll cast the first stone!" - MeanWestTexan)
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To: micheknows
Then why do the Hanukkah and Kwanzaa pages go directly to their pages without having to click through the holiday page, first? It's like saying, "Hmm..we KNOW you couldn't have been really wanting to search for CHRISTMAS..so here, try this holiday page first..then if that REALLY isn't what you're looking for, we'll see if we can find more."

Because it's your irritation that gives them joy.

253 posted on 11/09/2005 1:09:26 PM PST by HairOfTheDog (Join the Hobbit Hole Troop Support - http://freeper.the-hobbit-hole.net/ 1,000 knives and counting!)
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To: Jim Verdolini

I just bought some items from Walmart that were made by a company called Hodgdon, and some items made by another called Remington. I don't think they make their stuff in China, at least not the items I purchased.


254 posted on 11/09/2005 1:10:32 PM PST by Disambiguator (Making accusations of racism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.)
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To: HairOfTheDog

A little, but not much. I'll do more browsing--as boring as that is--before I come to any further conclusions.


255 posted on 11/09/2005 1:11:50 PM PST by I'm ALL Right! (WWW.ENDOFTHESPEAR.COM - A True Story. In theaters Jan 20, 2006. Click my profile.)
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To: blaise

Ah, so you lean liberal on that subject? That explains a lot.


256 posted on 11/09/2005 1:11:54 PM PST by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people. Ps. 14:34)
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To: dirtstiff
Try the searches on their Website!! They refuse to acknowledge Christmas for fear of offending but they sure come up with a lot of Islamic propoganda and stuff when you do a search for Ramadan. Nice that they want to include everybody EXCEPT Christians.

Did you actually look at the site yourself?

257 posted on 11/09/2005 1:12:37 PM PST by HairOfTheDog (Join the Hobbit Hole Troop Support - http://freeper.the-hobbit-hole.net/ 1,000 knives and counting!)
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To: Steve_Seattle

"Christian fundamentalist screed against the alleged "paganism" of Christmas"

I am one of those Christian fundamentalists, maybe you can tell me where in the Bible it tells about celebrating Christmas.


258 posted on 11/09/2005 1:12:37 PM PST by antisocial (Texas SCV - Deo Vindice)
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To: dighton; big'ol_freeper; Senator Bedfellow; All

Is the General Electric boycott still on?

My locomotives are getting really, really old.


259 posted on 11/09/2005 1:12:50 PM PST by aculeus
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To: Sensei Ern

Early 80's. No video cams smaller than a pickup truck. The video disc player was the big item that year...you know, the disc was larger than 33 lp. But I could pause the MASH movie at just the right spot when the pulled the tent down on Hot Lips.


260 posted on 11/09/2005 1:13:08 PM PST by dmz
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