The War Against Christmas in Ludington?!

[XLFD]

When the Ludington City Council meeting met on December 5th, City Councilor A. "Pete" Engblade noted the absence of the mention of Christmas in this year's "Aglow on the Avenue" Holdiday Parade, and it was bantered about at the end of the meeting.  While not by any means conclusive of some anti-Christmas bias, the councilor had a point.

111205LCC from Mason County District Library on Vimeo.

 

Fox News' Bill O'Reilly coined the term "War on Christmas" just after the turn of the millenium.  His claim was that any specific mention of the term "Christmas" or its religious aspects was being increasingly censored, avoided, or discouraged by a number of advertisers, retailers, government (prominently schools), and other public and secular organizations. 

 

O'Reilly's claims often centered around a secular progressive movement which advocated a politically-correct term for December 25 which didn't mention any reference to anything Christian, particularly the fact that it is the celebration of Jesus Christ's birth.  Christmas is a federally recognized holiday, and many non-Christians celebrate the day in a mostly traditional way.  O'Reilly advocated the use of the word "Christmas" instead of the increasingly popular usage of "holiday", "winter day off", etc. 

 

It looks as if the City of Ludington had made a conscious decision to avoid using the term "Christmas" in its 'holiday' events.  The evidence of this happening is stark.  Consider the City's ad for this parade on their website:

Notice there is no mention of the word Christmas whereas the word Holiday is used throughout five separate times to refer to that day.  Undoubtedly, the carols that were sung were approved beforehand so as to not offend anyone by the mention of "Christ" or "Christmas".

 

But this is not the only indication of the avoidance of mentioning Christmas.  The Downtown Ludington Board in 2010 published their "Downtown Update" on preparations for Christmas celebrations without even mentioning Christmas once, but using the term holiday sixteen times!

http://www.ludington.mi.us/Ludington/Newsletter_October_2010.pdf

In it's Holiday Happenings they continued that trend, once again 16-0

http://www.ludington.mi.us/news/news_detail_T2_R335.html

 

Back in 2009, the same DU newsletter only mentioned Christmas once (as part of an event, 'Christmas Open House) and "holiday" was used the 15 other times

http://www.ludington.mi.us/Ludington/Newsletter_October_2009.pdf

 

At the same time our sister city on the lake, Manistee, proudly promote Christmas and market their parade as a classical Victorian Christmas parade.  In this advertisement they mention Christmas 17 times and holiday only once.  http://www.visitmanisteemichigan.com/stories/manistee_victorian_sle...

 

The long length of traditional Christmas activities in Manistee on the same weekend of Ludington's lackluster celebration of the winter solstice holiday that our Downtown Ludington Board has created makes it no surprise that even the Ludington Daily News had more coverage of Manistee's events than our own.  I know which one sounds more interesting to me.

 

Please Ludington City leaders, quit standing in the way of the people once again having a Christmas Parade in Ludington.  Remember what is the reason for the season.

[Heaven Therzke]

holiday or chritsmas  whats the big deal.  i happen to like people using the word holiday because it doesnt' descriminate against others who don't celebrate something they might not believe in.  it makes them feel left out and depressed.  let them share in the happiness of the time.  manistee is not moving forward they are 200 years in the past and your post is ridiculous and stupid to boot.

[XLFD]

As Claudius in Act 3 of Shakespeare's Hamlet says: 

 "My words fly up, my thoughts remain below;
Words without thoughts never to Heaven go."

It looks as if you are uncomforable even spelling Christmas with "Christ" properly spelt, Heaven.  That's okay, I think the rest of us are tolerant enough to see that you need to be more sensitive to our Christian friends and accept your unwillingness to refer to that holiday.  For you, Heaven, Happy Holidays.

[Robert]

Merry Christmas Heaven!

[Heaven Therzke]

and merry chritsmas back at you robert.  but happy holidays to all those others out there who might be offended by those words we just used and celebrate other concepts.

[Willy]

Heaven

There you go with the nagging. Your spouting the left's party line. [" i happen to like people using the word holiday because it doesnt' descriminate against others who don't celebrate something they might not believe in.  it makes them feel left out and depressed."] Oh no lets' not  say Merry Christmas because it might upset the atheists. Do you know how stupid that sounds. This is a Christian Holiday. If someone doesn't  share the same belief or is offended, that's to bad. Your ideas are the reason this country is going down the toilet. I suppose Jews can't say Happy Hanukkah because it will upset all of the Muslims. And the Muslims shouldn't openly use the names Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha when celebrating their holidays. You are such a foolish person.

 

[Dave]

I honestly think that people that complain about the use of the word "Christmas" have to much free time. Let me note that I'm far from religious (not that I'm satanic either... I consider myself to be agnostic), I have enough of an open mind that I'm not going to get worked up over the word "Christmas" or if a city wants to put up a nativity scene or a menorah to celebrate the season. I'm not against other religions being able to exhibit some sort of decoration either as long as they are not violent displays or would be considered offensive by a majority of religious and non-religious people. 

Really the whole political correctness thing is getting old... there are more important things we need to worry about then saying "Merry Christmas".

[Marty Redman]

And Heaven, I think we should call you something other than your name for all those heathens who don't believe in you or Hell.  May you enjoy the celebration of Christs birth with a day off, just like most like me celebrate Martin Luther Kings birthday with a day off. 

[Willy]

There are just to many liberal / progressives in power and in key positions controlling Ludington. The elimination of the word "Christmas" when planning and discussing Christmas events is a perfect example. Ludington has dipped to an unacceptable low. Contract employees pushing citizens around, questionable dealings with taxpayers money, a council of handsitters who would rather remain woefully ignorant about what is happening, an out of control City Manager, pay raises for City employees during a major recession when everyone else is biting the bullet, the passing of unconstitutional ordinances, rampant nepotism, wasteful pork barrel projects and other anti citizen dealings that take place on a regular basis which are  perpetrated by Ludingtons local authorities.  Manistee seems to have the right idea and a much better grasp on realilty and the pulse of it's citizenry.

[XLFD]

Speaking of Manistee and how they have got it going on, I earlier met with Manistee-native Ludington City Attorney George Saylor today.  I had expected to finally get a circuit court hearing on a FOIA appeal today, but instead we met in a room to have a pre-hearing/scheduling confab for a hearing on the appeal I have requested to be expedited back in early October.  Discovery, expert witnesses, etc. for this simple case is now deadlined until February 15, 2012 and maybe the hearing will be had in March?! 

Anyway, my point is that Saylor and I met for about an hour, his travel time to and from Manistee was at least an hour and a half total, so figure that the City of Ludington was charged about an extra $500 today ($200 X 2.5 hrs) for 'defending' (more like stalling) a FOIA request the City Manager-without-an-Oath-of-Office failed to adequately respond to.  Check the "City is 2 Damn Corrupt Movement" group to find out what that's all about if you have some time to spare.

[masonco]

I don't understand why the government (and banks) still shut down on Christmas,

New Years (some don't celebrate),

Good Friday (Christian),

Thanksgiving day (some might not want to give thanks,

President's day (some don't believe in honoring our past presidents),

Memorial day (some are against military), 

While on the subject why are government offices closed on weekends? Maybe they should close on Tuesday and Thursday instead...after all Jew worship on Saturday and Christians worship on Sunday so isn't that discrimination against those religions that might worship midweek

[Willy]

The liberals and progressives in Ludington are going to have to use another word to replace holiday because they overlooked the origin and meaning of the word. "Holiday" has it's origin in " Middle English, from Old English hāligdæg, from hālig holy + dæg day" so as anyone can plainly see we can't have a word that in anyway relates to a religious tradition now can we. How about hip hip hooray days or whooped de doo days. C'mon you progressives, you can come up with an appropriate name that will not offend anyone except a cross dressing, chest shaving, bikini waxed Ukrainian foot soldier. Let's call it "hipstershaydays" and be done with it.

[AQUAMAN]

This 10 year or so tradition of Crapping on the word Christmas, the Christmas tree, it's heritage in our country's history, it's message of peace and tradition, is really starting to get to me again. And no wonder, now even the politically correct run the City of Ludington, and Pete made some good counterpoints. This little tiny berg in the midwest, Ludington, doesn't have a vast population of other religious sects to worry about making them, if any, feel depressed. These so-called "left-outs, depressed, and uncomfortable peeps" are like this year around, not just this time of year. They want to rain on everyone else's parade, to make them feel superior, or more intelligent, get their 15 minutes of fame, and all that warped jazz. All they are is winers to me, and to be ignored, and/or if they are vocal, to be told to shut up and sit down. If Ludington politicians want to exude their proficiency and tolerance for non-traditionalists, then have a separate parade for those religious sect holidays year around, and see who shows up or attends. Or better yet, try following the duties of their jobs in City politics to begin with, taking their sworn oaths of office, following the Michigan Laws correctly, stop violating citizens civil liberties and rights of the Constitution. Manistee and it's leaders, have been looking and acting better for quite a few years, and should be proud of it. As for Ludington, once the leader on the lake shores of Michigan, we are now a puppet shell follower of ignorant big city correctness, and I for one, feel there is no room for this nowadays here. For those wanting the alternative, go seek it elsewhere, preferably overseas where it originates, and stay there too.