Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
Rep. Henry Brown of South Carolina and 74 Republican co-sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives actually wants Congress to pass a resolution condemning people for saying "Happy Holidays" rather than "Merry Christmas."
The religious meaning of Christmas is serious to Brown. In an explanation of his resolution to the Christian Broadcast Network, Brown noted that, "we're in a troubled world," so "we can't lose sight of our deep faith by some how or another diminishing the value of Christmas."The main threat to Christmas, Brown contents, is the use of the term "happy holidays" rather than an emphasis on "Christ and Christmas."
He continues in an interview with Fox News:
BROWN: We forget the real meaning of Christmas by using "happy holidays" or "joy to the seasons" or some other word rather than "Merry Christmas." [...]Every year, more and more people are shying away from "Merry Christmas" and using "happy holidays" or some other means of expressing this special time for us.
And of course, he's using this as an attack on Obama:
Indeed, Brown has even attempted to use his resolution as a jab against President Obama. Declaring that the Obamas' holiday card doesn't mention Christmas, Brown said, "I believe that sending a Christmas card without referencing a holiday and its purpose limits the Christmas celebration in favor of a more 'politically correct' holiday." Brown's fight to preserve Christmas and shun "happy holidays" has earned him the title of "patriot" from noted culture warrior Bill O'Reilly.However, Brown's 2008 December newsletter wished a "happy holiday" to his constituents for the "holiday season." Although the newsletter had a link to the White House Christmas tree website, it made no other mention of Christ or Christmas. (Click here for a screenshot) And as Slate's Chris Beam has observed, Brown didn't introduce his resolution last year, even though President Bush's 2008 holiday card didn't mention Christmas either.
This kind of stupidity should not only be painful, it should invite some particularly painful kind of testicular cancer as a karmic reward for polluting the world with such irrelevant bullshit. It reminds me of those demagogic morons in Congress who promptly renamed french fries "freedom fries" after the war in Iraq started and France would not support our invasion. Anyone who supports such an idiotic proposal should be immediately barred not only from holding public office but from voting in any election as well.
If you think this is the kind of inane bullshit Congress should be doing, you just go back to making the "freedom fries," Skippy, and let the rest of us make the decisions around here.
Politics
Comments
Agreed.
Posted by: DPsisler | December 29, 2009 9:27 AM
What really disturbs me about the War on Christmas propaganda is that it's such clear evidence of Christian supremacy in the right wing. I mean, it was pretty obvious. But they never admit it except in this one context. They don't even bother calling it the War on Judeo-Christmas. Please find clips of other reps ripping into these idiots. I refuse to believe that the other 360 reps just sat back and watched this atrocity pass.
Posted by: Brandon | December 29, 2009 9:50 AM
Yeah, I can't really describe just how much the freedom fries bullshit annoyed me. We're getting ready to invade a nation and Congress is spending energy worrying about sliced potatoes.
Posted by: Josh | December 29, 2009 9:55 AM
I promise, if I ever meet Rep. Brown, not to wish him "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas". "Go fuck yourself" is much more appropriate and works all year long.
Posted by: Mr. Upright | December 29, 2009 9:57 AM
I always thought the main threat to Christmas was the crass commercialization of the holiday which did far more than the phrase "Happy Holidays" to strip out the religious meaning of the holiday and transform this time of year as a celebration of the birth of a savior into a time for pleasing.
However, I am not fucking moron. More over, I think it is a tragedy that I am learning disabled, yet smarter than many of our elected officials.
Posted by: History Punk | December 29, 2009 9:57 AM
This is a trick you see the congresscritters pulling a lot. They offer to use their position of power to "protect" something near and dear to people, but the thing they're offering to protect requires no protection at all and can be protected without lifting a finger. It's all just words and symbols, with no substance or actual effort underlying it at all, geared cynically towards winning over the idiot vote.
Posted by: Wes | December 29, 2009 10:01 AM
Or you could take solace from the fact that said disability wouldn't preclude you from running for office yourself.
Posted by: Josh | December 29, 2009 10:13 AM
If you think freedom fries are funny, try googling liberty cabbage. You won't be disappointed.
Posted by: Captain Mike | December 29, 2009 10:24 AM
Wow.
I think I knew about this once, but it had fled from my memory.
Posted by: Josh | December 29, 2009 10:27 AM
The really disgraceful thing about all this "We all gotta call it Christmas" nonsense is the sheer obvious bigotry and cowardice.
There are two very specific minorities who don't celebrate Christmas the "proper" "Christian" way: black people who celebrate Kawanzaa, and Jews who celebrate Hannukah*. Are ANY of these brave warriors-for-baby-Jesus explicitly condemning either of these minority groups for "diminishing the value of Christmas?" Have even one of these legislators demanded that blacks stop wishing each other "hapy Kawanzaa," or that Jews stop celebrating Hannukah and put pressies under a dying evergreen tree to reflect the deep faith on which our great Christian nation was founded?
__________________________
*Yes, I'm sure I've misspelled both of those furrin words. Sorry.
Posted by: Raging Bee | December 29, 2009 10:37 AM
Sure he is crazy, but craziest of the year? What about the idiots from Oklahoma?
Posted by: ElJay | December 29, 2009 10:40 AM
A little blog-whoring on the same topic: http://thinkingforfree.blogspot.com/2009/12/and-then-they-go-and-spoil-it.html
I also note the distinct lack of the "Judeo-" prefix, which coming from these folks, in any other context would be obligatory -- which just shows what a pathetic bit of tokenism it always was.
From personal memory (confirmed by a cache of old greeting cards found in my wife's grandparents' house), I can say that "Happy Holidays" goes back decades, long before these blowhard Culture Warriors noticed the threat to their hegemony, and tried to play the persecution card over it.
Posted by: Eamon Knight | December 29, 2009 10:42 AM
Quickly to be followed by
H.Res.952 - Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the symbols and traditions of Yule should be protected for use by those who celebrate Yule.
and
H.Res.953 - Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the symbols and traditions of Sol Invictus should be protected for use by those who celebrate Sol Invictus.
Posted by: DaveL | December 29, 2009 10:49 AM
I wonder what this jackass would say about the tradition my friends and I have called "gift card day". Every year, the day after Christmas, we gathered up all our unwanted gifts and return them for store credit and then merge that with our gift cards and go on a grand ole shopping spree. Sometimes, we even wish each other and random street folk "Happy Giftcard Day."
Posted by: History Punk | December 29, 2009 10:49 AM
Wow, only two?
Happy Festivus!
Posted by: Chilidog | December 29, 2009 10:52 AM
Chilidog: just to clarify, I did not mean to imply that only those two minorities don't celebrate Christmas; I was merely pointing out that those are the two biggest and most vocal such minorities, and the "Christian" wingnuts' unwillingness to critize them BY NAME indicates either hypocricy or cowardice. This just adds one more level of sheer phoniness to the whole "War on Christmas" act.
Posted by: Raging Bee | December 29, 2009 10:59 AM
I bet this kind of fearless legislator, prepared to speak out about such serious and weighty issues, would make 'The Founding Fathers' so proud of all the effort they put into creating a new kind of governance. [*eye-roll*] - Dingo
Posted by: DingoJack | December 29, 2009 11:03 AM
If the White-House greeting contains no mention of Christ or Christmas, why is representative Brown mischaracterizing it as a "Christmas" card?
And also, why are all these protestant fundies bemoaning the lack of a (catholic) mass?
Posted by: PoxyHowzes | December 29, 2009 11:04 AM
Wait until he finds out that the true meaning of the Feast of the Pentecost has been lost in all the hooplah surrounding qualifications and time trials for the Indy 500. He'll blow a gasket!
What is all this "start your engines" crap? We need to reserve Christian holidays for Christians, damnit, and we don't need no racecars spoiling our worshipful reverence and solemn penitence! If the Feast of the Pentecost was good enough for Cotton Mather, it's good enough for us!
Good luck with that, Congressman.
Posted by: threetorches | December 29, 2009 11:06 AM
PoxyHowzes - 'cause everyone knows Washington DC is worth only a few rude gestures, but Paris, that's worth a mass! [/history nerd] - Dingo
Posted by: DingoJack | December 29, 2009 11:09 AM
Here's an idea: let's all send Rep. Brown secular holiday cards.
Posted by: Katharine | December 29, 2009 11:22 AM
"Dumbass Legislator of the Year"
Honestly, Ed, how could you pick just one from such a rich field?
Posted by: JusticeLeague | December 29, 2009 11:27 AM
And the GOP keeps digging.
Posted by: Sadie Morrison | December 29, 2009 11:30 AM
A couple years ago I internet-knew someone who insisted that saying "Happy Holidays"(or putting it in a forum banner) rather than "Merry Christmas" would lead to communism. Yes, really. This person was about 16, and I recall she also identified Coulter and Hannity as true patriots.
I agree with Katharine: let's all wish Rep. Baldwin "Happy Holidays".
Posted by: Emily | December 29, 2009 11:46 AM
I don't know how to set up a website for this, but if someone can set up something to the effect of 'www.happyholidayshenrybrown.com' and code a little message people can personalize that we can flood his inbox with, that'd be great.
Posted by: Katharine | December 29, 2009 11:52 AM
Also, flood his twitter account.
Posted by: Katharine | December 29, 2009 11:59 AM
And in WWI, dachshunds (wiener dogs) were renamed "Liberty pups", and German Shepherds were called "Alsatian Shepherds" to help protect them from anti-German sentiment.
People have always been this stupid, it seems.
Posted by: sinned34 | December 29, 2009 11:59 AM
In my opinion, if the majority of Republicans in Congress come down as endorsing this, I think we can safely label them the party of theocracy.
I wonder who will condemn them for it.
Either way, I expect their party membership to be further reduced to the 20% of this country that are raging evil morons that need to be stopped in their tracks.
Posted by: Katharine | December 29, 2009 12:14 PM
As usual, it's good to see the GOP has its priorities in order.
All hail the Party of Bachmann.
Posted by: CHV | December 29, 2009 12:14 PM
Also, congressional resolutions are a waste of time.
Posted by: Katharine | December 29, 2009 12:27 PM
This is a joke, right?
Posted by: barry | December 29, 2009 12:27 PM
Every American taxpayer should get a tax credit for the time and money that members of the House wasted on this resolution. I realize that the credit only be fractions of a penny when divided up, but it's worth it.
Posted by: Mandrake | December 29, 2009 12:33 PM
I'd like to send Brown and the other christofascists the following xmas card:
http://www.nmmng.co.uk/498a648d (scroll down)
Posted by: Heather | December 29, 2009 12:37 PM
I just want to send out all my fellow South Carolinians: Congrats! Between Sanford, Wilson and Brown, we're shoe-ins for "Twats Of The Year"!
Posted by: Mark Wood | December 29, 2009 12:42 PM
I grew up in a suburb of Detroit, where the idea of diversity is at its utmost. Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Blacks, Chaldeans, Catholics, etc. If there is a religion, Detroit has it. Chriswanzikuhdan, it could be called. "Happy Holidays" is generic, non-sectarian, and only offensive to Right-wing nutjobs who think that only they have a voice. I am a non-religious free-thinker who went to see the display at the Arkansas State Capitol last week, was impressed by its non-bashing of religion, and it's celebration of an event (Winter Solstice) that happens every year without any questions or supposed traditions
But, I feel compelled to say "Merry Christmas", because 1) I grew up saying it, 2)I enjoy the secular side of Christmas, and 3), all the Jews, Muslims, etc, that I know, wish the same to me, regardless of their beliefs.
Fundies, get off the soapbox and use our tax dollars for something important, such as healthcare for people that act like the 'Christians" you claim to be.
Posted by: OMC | December 29, 2009 1:17 PM
Posted by: Captain Mike | December 29, 2009 1:17 PM
I tried to e-mail a "Happy Holidays!" greeting to this cretin, but it turns out that he accepts only e-mails from South Carolina. But I did fax it to him. It may have cost me a little, but I got as much pleasure from it as I would have received by giving him the uplifted middle finger.
Posted by: komponist | December 29, 2009 1:17 PM
The best result of the whole "freedom fries" garbage was the time I went into a restroom with a condom dispenser that had "freedom ticklers." That made my day.
Posted by: Snuggly Buffalo | December 29, 2009 1:21 PM
They want to fuss over words? Well, all right, then.
Perhaps we humanists who celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday should start "explaining" that it's just fine to take the 'Christ' out of Christmas, because it's pronounced "kriss-muss," and not "CHRIST - mAss." You really can't tell there's any religious connection, from hearing the word itself. We can pretend this really matters, and is a huge deal to the secularists. It's politically correct to say "kriss-muss" -- the holiday for everyone!
If this claim is mentioned and promoted in enough forums, it will eventually percolate down to the Defenders of the Holy Day for Jesus network. They, of course (being completely tone deaf to satire), will promptly counter that no, it ought to be pronounced CHRIST-mAss -- and will no doubt begin to do so, as a sort of in-your-face-with-Jesus escalation in the War on Christmas. Merry CHRIST-mass. Or, perhaps, Merry ChristLordJesus Say-a-Mass. Take that -- you who muss with Christ-mass!
Then they will introduce a resolution condemning sloppy pronunciation; it denies our country's religious heritage. This will provoke another good post by Ed, and allow even more snickering.
Think they'd buy it?
Posted by: Sastra | December 29, 2009 1:42 PM
I'm doing one better - I'm sending him an actual holiday card!
Posted by: Katharine | December 29, 2009 1:47 PM
One difference between Freedom Fries and Liberty Cabbage is that we were actually at war with Germany. I don't recall anyone during WWII referring to Swiss Cheese as Holy Curd.
Posted by: Taz | December 29, 2009 1:48 PM
During the United States' involvement in WWI, the Met Opera in NY dropped all operas in German or by German or Austrian composers for the duration (even the ones in Italian). In WWII, the Met dropped "Madame Butterfly" from its repertory (it had been performed every year for 10 years) and didn't bring it back until the mid-1950's.
Posted by: RobNYNY1957 | December 29, 2009 1:57 PM
Well, during WWI, the City of Berlin, Ontario, was re-named (following a plebiscite) Kitchener. Of course, gangs of young toughs and thugs roamed the streets on election day making sure that the sizable ethnic German minority was kept away from the polls. However, the proposal did not enjoy wide support; fewer than 900 ballots were cast. The population at that time was around 15,000. However, the name was changed and it stuck. They still have the best Oktoberfest there, each year!
Oh, and for the record, we don't eat "Canadian" bacon up here. We call it "back" bacon. Let's face it, it's all good!
That said, I have to admit that most of us chuckled at the whole "freedom fries" silliness. The amazing thing to me was that this was taken seriously in your Congress! I'm sure there were and are more important things to legislate over.
Thank goodness for blogs like this one. At least I know that the yahoos aren't the sole voices coming out of the Excited States.
Posted by: Chris G | December 29, 2009 1:58 PM
Here's his address, if you want to send him a holiday card:
Representative Henry Brown
103 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Posted by: Katharine | December 29, 2009 2:00 PM
I said 'Happy Holidays, you sanctimonious, theocratic, horrid excuse for a politician', and wrote on the other side a list of Winter Solstice holidays.
Posted by: Katharine | December 29, 2009 2:04 PM
Posted by: Herod the Freemason | December 29, 2009 2:05 PM
The saddest part is that I don't think "Happy Holidays" even had anything to do with wanting to be nice to non-Christians, originally. It's just a shorter way of saying "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year".
Posted by: Nemo | December 29, 2009 2:13 PM
So, only Christians can use the symbols they appropriated from other cultures and copied from older religions?
It's like starting a new band, endlessly bitching about being ripped off by Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones, then going one step farther and trying to claim copyright on their songs that you've covered.
Are there any Reps fed up enough and daring enough to propose a satire Res like one from DaveL @#13, or affirming the superiority of favorite sports teams, television shows, or musicians?
Does it really have to be this stupidly blunt for them to get it?:
H.Res.954 - Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Beyoncé has one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time!
Posted by: Jason Failes | December 29, 2009 2:14 PM
Jason Failes, I bet there'd be at least one representative willing to do that with the phrase, couched somewhere in the legislation, 'Whereas Congressional resolutions are a complete waste of time...'
Posted by: Katharine | December 29, 2009 2:23 PM
Is there a list of the gibbering idiots who support Batshit Brown?
Posted by: Katharine | December 29, 2009 2:26 PM
@ Chris G.: I'd forgotten about Kitchener! I live near there, so now I feel pretty stupid. By the way, I call it peameal bacon, not back bacon. Regional or personal difference, I guess.
Liberty Cabbage is nowhere near as dumb as Freedom Fries, when you think about it. IIRC, the use of the name Liberty Cabbage came from American sauerkraut manufacturers, who feared the name would hurt sales. Not quite the same as Congress doing it.
Posted by: Captain Mike | December 29, 2009 2:30 PM
Ref #36. Ref the Political Correctness brigade here (UK), and the subject of Christmas. How about Winterval for starters? Really no one I know in this highly ethnically and religiously diverse city takes offence at being wished Happy Christmas. But some of the local government authorities here in Londistan are concerned that those of us who are not Christian will. Winterval was one serious attempt at re-defining the Christmas festival rendering it more acceptable to those of other faiths, or lets face it folks, no faith. And thats not just in the Creator but in our elected leaders who are constantly rewriting history in a futile attempt at pleasing everyone all the time.
Posted by: BritBat | December 29, 2009 2:53 PM
@ OMC #35
I use "Happy Kwanzchrismanukhamadanivusnalia and Secular Gift Giving Day"
I'd pull Ramadan out of there, but it just flows so nicely. Fun to throw at the god-wallopers anyway.
Posted by: Brachyteles | December 29, 2009 3:21 PM
Brachyteles: it's "Christmasaturneidkwanzannakayulestice," you heretic! Get the Reason for the Season straight, willya?
Posted by: Raging Bee | December 29, 2009 3:24 PM
You're missing the feast of Mithras, but then so am I. :P
Posted by: Brachyteles | December 29, 2009 3:34 PM
And the fuckwit is paid for being a representative?
And he doesn't even know that it is 'Yuletide'?
'Christmas' is really just another name for 'shopping frenzy', just like all the xian stuff is there to fleece the feeble-minded. And we can all see that it really works, - sadly.
Posted by: shonny | December 29, 2009 3:44 PM
I'm reminded of this fun quote from a recent post over at Cake Wrecks.
Posted by: Abby Normal | December 29, 2009 3:47 PM
@History Punk
"Sometimes, we even wish each other and random street folk "Happy Giftcard Day.""
Sacrilege! That's Boxing Day!
Posted by: Thomathy | December 29, 2009 3:50 PM
This is a clear example as to why politics and religion should not be bedfellows.
religiongonecrazy.com
Posted by: ReligionGoneCrazy | December 29, 2009 3:51 PM
It's not nearly as funny as these lunatics pushing Merry Christmas legislation, but I also kind of enjoy watching corporations tie themselves in knots trying to put out the most neutral holiday greetings and advertisements possible. Food Network's "Share Your Season" comes to mind. WTF does that collection of words even mean?
Posted by: Troublesome Frog | December 29, 2009 4:08 PM
"Christmasaturnamithreidkwanzannakayulestice?" Or does this Feast of Mithras have another name I can use here?
Posted by: Raging Bee | December 29, 2009 4:17 PM
I think it has something to do with chefs exchanging spices. Or would that be "Share Your Seasoning"?
Posted by: Abby Normal | December 29, 2009 4:28 PM
Take the pencils away before they hurt themselves.
Posted by: Caddisfly | December 29, 2009 4:58 PM
I thought the value of christmas was up this year compared to last year. I seam to remember reading somewhere that retail sales were flat to up this year and retailer profits were up due to tighter cost control. So how can the value of christmas be down if retailer profits due to christmas are up? It makes no sense. What am I missing?
Posted by: mess | December 29, 2009 5:20 PM
Gentlemen, surely there is room for compromise here. We could, for example, greet Rep. Brown with a hearty "Merry Christmas, asshole!" or a cheerful "Merry Fucking Christmas!" The possibilities are endless. Can't we all just get along?
Posted by: littlejohn | December 29, 2009 5:52 PM
Send a Happy Holidays fax for free, no registration required:
http://faxzero.com
Rep Henry Brown
Fax: (202) 225-3407
Posted by: Dr X | December 29, 2009 8:32 PM
Dr X: Excellent link!
I have send him this card: http://neatorama.cachefly.net/images/2007-11/happy-holidays-card-flying-spaghetti-monster.gif
Posted by: TonV | December 29, 2009 8:55 PM
Yes, please, where is the list of supporters? I'm willing to bet that my own congressman, the Pride of the Prairie Tim Johnson, R-IL is on it.
Posted by: Shay | December 29, 2009 9:04 PM
Must.. resist.. can't..
"It's Happy Holidays, Senator Brown!"
Posted by: Rutee | December 29, 2009 10:15 PM
Henry "Charlie" Brown isn't a senator, he's a congressman.
Posted by: daniel rotter | December 30, 2009 12:45 AM
re #36:
No, other countries had just as silly renamings during WWII. In Germany, the silliness was compounded by insisting on "truly German terms". No "entrecotes" or "Filets Wellington" on the menu! ;)
Posted by: HRG | December 30, 2009 3:30 AM
this is nothing new: remember the anti-flag burning amendment? congresscritters have been doing this political "sleight of hand" since before any one of us was born to keep stupid american sheeple from paying attention to what is really important. the sad fact is that americans tolerate this behavior and indeed, reward it, by voting these ridiculous morons back into office again and again. but then again, americans never did like public officials who are more intelligent than they are ...
Posted by: "GrrlScientist" | December 30, 2009 8:13 AM
@ HRG: I had a feeling. I knew this couldn't be just an American problem. In fact, I forgot the Berlin/Kitchener thing, and that basically happened in my back yard.
Posted by: Captain Mike | December 30, 2009 8:42 AM
@ Captain Mike
I wonder what will happen to Waterloo if we go to war with Belgium. Or Cambridge if we ever decide to rebel against Her Majesty's iron grip.
Posted by: Adrian W. | December 30, 2009 8:57 AM
"Anyone who supports such an idiotic proposal should be immediately barred not only from holding public office but from voting in any election as well."
Maybe we can get a few liberals voting for the healthcare bill to vote for Christmas so we can bar them from holding office and stop them from driving this country into the ground.
Posted by: Skippy | December 30, 2009 4:17 PM
"...to vote for Christmas..."
You think anyone who votes against this resolution is "against Christmas?" Pathetic.
Posted by: daniel rotter | December 31, 2009 12:22 AM
"Saturnalia" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia
Apparently, he didn't get the memo about it.
"Christmas tradition": Stealing well-popular holiday aspects and traditions from other well established cultures and religions then claiming them as their own to make themselves more 'popular' to kids.
Posted by: Jon | January 2, 2010 12:45 AM
I think the author of this news story is dumb ass of the year. Had the Rep.Brown been a Democrat, he wouldn't have wasted his time pushing his pen. Why don't you, Mr.Brayton get out from behind your computer desk and go out and make an honest living. Nah, giving your opinion for a living is so much easier, You're lazy and crazy!!!
Posted by: Mike | January 4, 2010 11:23 PM
Mike: Apparently you didn't pause to consider how that reflects on you.
Posted by: Modusoperandi | January 4, 2010 11:30 PM
Modusoperandi: hey I don't put in my days work, I just write this on my leisure.
Posted by: Mike | January 4, 2010 11:34 PM
hey I've done put in my days work*
Posted by: Mike | January 4, 2010 11:36 PM
Way to address the argument, Mike.
Posted by: Sadie Morrison | January 4, 2010 11:51 PM
The hilarious thing about the freedom fries thing still being that.. well they're not from france. It's a way to describe the cut of the potatoe. They're from Belgium.
Ignorance. It holds a large part of the United States, no?
Posted by: Jeroen | January 22, 2010 3:21 AM