The War on Christmas

This morning that bastion of truth, honesty, straight thinking and well produced journalism, the Sun, set out on a crusade against what it claims is the 'War on Christmas'.






Every year we get stories in low-rent rags such as the Sun and Daily Mail about how anything remotely festive is banned because "it offends religious minorities." Heck, there's even a book about it.
Today's Sun has even printed a list of cases, even printing words in BOLD CAPITALS to make sure that I understand them and are equally outraged.
The argument falls down though when they list what has/hasn't been banned. Here's a snippet:

A COURT banned a millionaire from putting up his annual charity light display.

So, banned because of religious minorities, or "banned" because (presumably), he didn't get the planning permission that is required to erect commercial illuminated displays?

A SANTA was prevented from touring a town because his sleigh does not have a seatbelt.

In other words, A SANTA was prevented from using public roads in an un-roadworthy vehicle. Presumably the Sun would be happy for a drunken 16-year old to drive an un-taxed, un-MOT'd F-Reg Fiesta laden with presents through a village square on the proviso that he wore A SANTA costume.

There's more where that came from and I dare say that we've not heard the last of the Sun's campaign to allow people to break the law just because it's Christmas.


And the outrage hasn't stopped there. The right-wing press are creaming themselves over Channel 4's decision to allow a fully veiled Muslim to deliver their Christmas speech.

For you non-Brits, a bit of background knowledge is probably needed:
Every Christmas day, families used to gather around the TV as the Queen delivered her Christmas speech to the nation. It had to be done, usually because your Gran was a devout supporter of the monarchy. Today however it's different and support and interest in the Royal family has continued to wain. Buckingham Palace lost a lot of public support over their actions following Diana's death and a catalogue of gaffs have never seen them recover their image to what it once was.
Channel 4 spotted that and each year at the same time Her Majesty went on air, they broadcast their "alternate speech". Previous years have seen the Beckhams, the Simpsons, Ali G, Sharon Osbourne and Ali G address the British public and this year will see a woman known only as "Khadija" step in front of the camera.

Of course, we are all supposed to be outraged by this. I mean, how dare a national television network broadcast images of a veiled Muslim into the homes across of a multi-cultural and so-called 'racial tolerant' nation such as Britain and how dare they give a non-Christian an opportunity to give their views on the most 'Christian' day of the year (despite the fact that Christianity stole Christmas from the Pagans). Interestingly, nobody seemed to care when Sasha Baron-Cohen (as Ali G) appeared on our screens a few December 25th's back, despite the fact that he is Jewish.

So today people, as you go about your daily business, remember to be outraged.