EMMIE SMASH

[emmelinemay]

Warning, strong opinions are about to be put forth.

Someone in a dept meeting just complained that our company christmas cards (which feature a TOTALLY non-denominational picture of...our logo) said 'Happy Christmas' on the front.

Ok. If i lived and worked in, say, Israel . I would NOT complain if my company put out 'Happy Hannukah' cards. Nor would I insist they change it to 'seasons greetings'. If I lived and worked in, say, Indonesia. I wouldn't complain about people celebrating Eid.

Christmas is the holiday season here in the UK, that is the festival we choose to celebrate, be it because you are celebrating solstice, the 'birth of jesus', whatever. If you live here, accept that we celebrate christmas. It's NOT offensive to say 'Happy Christmas', i'm sorry, but it' ISN'T. Not in the UK.

I must be getting intolerant in my old age, as i am starting to get really frustrated when the majority panders to the minority 'just in case' offence is caused.

Don't even get me started on people that want to live in the UK from somewhere else but don't learn English. If i wanted to live in Germany. I'd bloody well learn German.

You know, next year, this ONE person has asked that we put 'seasons greetings' only on the cards, which currently say 'Merry Christmas' on the outside and 'Best wishes for the New Year' on the inside - because not everyone has their new year now either o_O

Feel free to offer alternative view points, if you disagree! Only well put arguments need apply...

I have to say, i was tempted to claim i was a Pastafarian,, and that i insisted that we all only eat pasta at social functions.

Comments

[aliasrob.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I wouldn't find it offensive to get sent Happy Chanukah cards, Ramadan / Eid/ Chinese New Year/ whatever. People who are "offended" by the existence of other cultures can basically fuck off.

[emmelinemay.livejournal.com]

it's more the fact that people assume offence that worries me, and take steps to avoid it.

It's going to get ridiculous, with no one able to use words or say anything to anyone for fear of being offensive o_O

[aliasrob.livejournal.com]

This is what is referred to as "a chilling effect".

[emmelinemay.livejournal.com]

it's crazy, it really is.

People are weird. I'm glad i'm not one.

[halocaustic.livejournal.com]

Punch them once in the skull from me....
As you can imagine, working in a hospital, I work in a very multicultural area. We have doctors and med students from all over the world working beside us. In the 8 years I have been nursing NOT ONE has ever complained about our Xmas decorations and cards etc. In fact, Ahmed (who was one of my favourite doctors ever)I used to work with was from Iraq and was muslim actually sent out Xmas cards to all the nurses because he knew that's what we celebrated. He understood that people have different beliefs and he thought thats what made working in the UK so interesting. He even liked getting Xmas cards! I haven't seen him years but I know he would be disappointed to see how this person is acting.

[emmelinemay.livejournal.com]

It's happened before, at another company i worked at, we were told we couldn't have xmas decorations or anything, as it was 'offensive to the number of Muslims that work here'

A number of the Muslims were offended that the management on high (who were all male, white, middle class types) had decided on their behalf what was and wasn't acceptable.

One pointed out that we closed over christmas, so they got the time to spend with their family. If the company REALLY meant what they said, they'd stay open, so people that 'don't want' christmas could work. SHe pointed out that not one of them *would* come in and work, because it's a national holiday, regardless of what for.

[bluekieran.livejournal.com]

Rape them with a crucafix.

[emmelinemay.livejournal.com]

that would probably be secularist too.

I should use a menorah.

[gaius-octavian.livejournal.com]

Is this person an ethnic minority themselves and offended, or just saying that the minorities might be offended?

[emmelinemay.livejournal.com]

He's Jewish. Hes asked if he can bring in doughnuts and a Menorah in at some point in december to have a celebration for anyone that wants to attend.

Nice idea i guess, but you know, no one minds him doing that. None of us have a problem with him bringing in food, and saying happy Hanukkah. And yet he has a problem with us sending out happy christmas cards.

[redshira.livejournal.com]

Oh, god, another Jewish person acting like an idiot and making us all look bad. And, at the same time, completely missing the point of what it means to be Jewish - one of the main things about it is having an attitude of "you do what you like and we'll do what we like and nobody will bother anyone else". The emphasis is very much on respect and not making a fuss about stuff like Christmas if you happen to live in a country where it's the main holiday. Gah.

[emmelinemay.livejournal.com]

not making a fuss about stuff like Christmas if you happen to live in a country where it's the main holiday.

Quite.

I actually found myself rather annoyed when he was suggesting it, as he kept saying 'if no one minds' and 'if that's ok with everyone else' with the clear implication that if it WASN'T ok, we were being all bigoted and offensive.

Now, if a company was to refuse time off to someone to celebrate a religious festival, THAT would be out of order. But to ask people to pretend they AREN'T celebrating one just because other people aren't?

If he complains about any christmas decorations...

[redshira.livejournal.com]

Tell him he's being a schmuck. That way, he can't complain, because it's Yiddish! You're using inclusive language from the appropriate culture!

[gaius-octavian.livejournal.com]

*high five*

[load-of-flannel.livejournal.com]

I dealt with similar in my company by saying "BOLLOCKS" (literally) in a meeting followed by some pointed comments about the amount of time and money being wasted by persons who had nothning better to do all day than consider the PC ramifications of our crimbo cards. I also suggested that as these people were wasting our budget any bonus being paid to them should be cancelled.

However I am only allowed to do such things because I registered as a 'plant' on the Belbin business sense scale and thus I am expected now to be 'off the wall' and won't get fired for it.

On the other hand point out that sending 'Seasons greetings cards' will sorley annoy many older custopmers who wanted a Christmas card. Also ask said Twat how many people have phoned in to complain about their Christmas cards. (The answer will be 'none') Then ask them to stop wasting your time.

[canudiglett]

I can't believe anyone could be seriously offended by someone saying "Happy Christmas"! What an idiot!

[emmelinemay.livejournal.com]

i don't think he was offended, more worried about implied offence.

This same guy complained about a joke made amongst the office football team, where someone remrked on email that 'if it's cold, the girls can wear tracksuit bottoms. [male colleague A] has already bought this.

Male colleague A thought this was funny. But this other guy sent an email round to EVERYONE warning them that such jokes were potentially offensive, and we shouldn't make them.

[object17.livejournal.com]

I don't believe in God. I don't have ties to any belief system but the concept of being upset by someone wishing me a happy christmas is frankly ridiculous. It occurs to me this would be the same as being offended by someone wishing me a happy weekend, afterall Christmas is celebrated by many as a consumer holiday anyway.

[mnowster.livejournal.com]

That makes me feel so sad. I don't understand how that's offensive. Is that any different to someone saying have a nice day after you've bought a sandwich, what if I take offense at someone saying I should have a nice day, how dare they!!

How about the point that the UK celebrates freedom of speech/expression. So if you have a festival and wish to celebrate, go right ahead, we won't stop you!! Which is why so many persecuted people come here because they can believe in whatever they like as long as they don't hurt anybody. So how does it make sense that we allow everyone elses celebrations and ask for tolerance of that but when it comes to our own we have to mute it in case of offense. *baffled*

Ask him if he'd cancel xmas in a terminally ill kids hospital in case it offends someone? Or not allow xmas decorations or happy xmas wishes to be said. Rubbish.

[emmelinemay.livejournal.com]

we allow everyone elses celebrations and ask for tolerance of that but when it comes to our own we have to mute it in case of offense

that is precisely my point, only put in a much clearer and more sensible manner!!

I think his complaint was not so much that it was 'offensive', but that it wasn't 'inclusive' as it didn't take into account people who don't celebrate christmas and therefore could potentially be offensive.

[mr-foz.livejournal.com]

This is the sort of PC nonsense that gives me 'The rage'.

[emmelinemay.livejournal.com]

me too.

the director of the dept knows how opinionated i am and kept shooting me 'SHUT UP' looks. I just couldn't be bothered in the end, rather i sat there biting my lip and mentally composing an LJ rant...

This guy works in inclusion, as in in trying to make sure minority groups are able to access the same services as majority groups. Sometimes i think he forgets that the majority have rights too...

[gaius-octavian.livejournal.com]

The funny thing about equality is, once people get it, they always find it's not all it's cracked up to be.

[emmelinemay.livejournal.com]

hmm. I'm not sure i actually follow you here.

[gaius-octavian.livejournal.com]

Well, if we're all equal, and you can't overtly mention Christmas, then he can't mention Hannukah either can he? So it's not really equality he wants, it's special privileges, he wants more rights that you, and he wants you to feel guilty for not giving them to him. You can bet if you did point this out he'd immediately accuse you of oppressing him...

[emmelinemay.livejournal.com]

it's not that he wants us not to overly mention christmas, he wants us to not exclude people that DON'T celebrate christmas by re-wording things to make things non-specific.

[camillastar.livejournal.com]

I'm going to tell Yusuf right now that I'm offended that he bought Christmas cards this year with the words 'Merry Christmas' on them. What was he thinking?

[emmelinemay.livejournal.com]

hahaha :D

[tuv23.livejournal.com]

*exasperated look*

The mind boggles at such stupidity, it really does :/

[jillyfishie.livejournal.com]

More than one person would complain about that here!

[ex-cooljohn507.livejournal.com]

I object strongly to the words "Merry or Happy" too.

Some of us might not want a Happy Christmas, it's forcing pre-conceived ideas about how we should feel upon us "depressionists".

This year I only want "Have a shit Christmas" cards please.

Bah! Humbug!

[emmelinemay.livejournal.com]

i iwll place my order from here on your behalf asap...

[ex-cooljohn507.livejournal.com]

omg omg omg!

http://www.cafepress.com/bahhumbug.85336224

RAWR!

[emmelinemay.livejournal.com]

heh :)

[chromenewt.livejournal.com]

Totally in agreement. I'd be tempted to mention to this person that we live in a democracy in this country and the majority say "the majority rules and is tolerant of others, not subservient".

Print your own fucking cards if it offends. Personally I find off the shelf religeon offensive but you don't see me beating muslims/christians/scientologists with the agnos-stick, do you?

If I didn't want to be hijacked and held hostage I wouldn't go visit "Mile Irish" in Baghdad right now, so if they don't like our Merry Christmas then would they merrily fuck off then please.

[hannahlucas.livejournal.com]

This is the one thing that makes me mental. I'm Jewish, i send blinking Crimbo cards to all my mates, whtever the religion. On eof my kids' mums gave me a Happy Eid card and present. She knows I'm Jewish, it's not an insult, it's sharing a celebration. I have bought Xmas cards for the whole class. We have learnt about Eid, they will play Channukah games, we made Divas for Divali. The Governemnt ram it down our throats that we must be understanding and accepting to everyone except this country's own faith. Dubai (that well known Muslim country) had the biggest Christmas tree and grotto display I've ever seen. All the women in tehir full masks were taking the kids to get their pictures taken and see Santa. It's not even a bloody religios thing anymore anyway. Grrrrrrrr (wow, major rantage)

[poggs.livejournal.com]

Breaking down cultural barriers is done by being accepting of others culture, not by pretending you're inert and have no culture.