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Michael J. Gaynor The “n” word is a crude, demeaning epithet that civilized people simply do not use.
“Merry Christmas” is a joyous greeting referencing a national holiday.
Federated Department Stores bans both.
Even though more than three quarters of Americans identify themselves as Christians.
In recent years the words “Merry Christmas” have been removed from Federated's advertising, decorations and promotional materials.
Federal is exquisitively sensitive to their supposed sensitivity of non-Christians and obstinately oblivious to Christian sensibilities.
Federated has insulted Christians in the name of political correctness.
Federated is banking on Christian passivity to keep the price it will pay for pandering to secular extremism below the price of using the words “Merry Christmas.”
“Banking” is the right word for a business obsessed with its bottom line.
And Federated’s bottom line is its Achilles heel.
If Christians take their business to “Merry Christmas”-friendly merchants, Federated will quickly recalculate and end the ban or suffer the wrath of its shareholders of whatever religious attitude.
With secularist extremists’ intent on removing “God” from The Pledge of Allegiance and United States currency, a small cross from the Los Angeles County seal and any reference to God or Christmas from the public square, it behooves Christians and those respectful of Christian sensibilities to take their business to merchants who are not antagonistic to Christmas and Christians.
Manuel Zamarrano was incensed.
So incensed that he formed the Committee to Save Merry Christmas to protest what he calls a “covert and deceptive war” led mostly by large retailers.
The Committee’s stated goal is “to preserve the culture and tradition of the vast majority of Americans that celebrate and honor Christmas…. a nationally declared federal holiday that has been observed from the inception of our nation.”
The Committee deems the “intentional and deliberate exclusion of ‘Merry Christmas’ in the Federated Department Stores advertising and decorations… extremely offensive to the culture and tradition of Americans who honor and celebrate Christmas.”
Therefore, the Committee asks this question: “Should you--the purchasing public--who honors the American tradition and culture of Christmas, continue to purchase Christmas gifts from Federated Department Stores when they deliberately and intentionally refuse to acknowledge Christmas?”
The Committee’s answer is no, of course.
And the Committee tellingly emphasizes that while Federal Department Stores banned “Merry Christmas,” it “did not hesitate to advertise ‘After Christmas Sales’ because Federated Department Stores are very willing to use the word ‘Christmas’ when it suits their needs.”
Federated remained silent.
The Committee then launched a nationwide boycott of Federated stores.
Federated issued a statement in response to the boycott.
According to Federated, “phrases like ‘Season’s Greetings’ and ‘Happy Holidays’ embrace all religious and ethnic celebrations that take place in November and December and are more appropriate for the many diverse cultures in America today.” It would behoove Federated to agree to say “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Hanukah” as well as “Happy Holidays” and “Season’s Greetings.”
Federated should check with PepsiCo as to what can happen when Christians are offended. PepsiCo can tell Federated that Rene Henry Gracida, now Bishop Emeritus of Corpus Christi, Texas, put an end to PepsiCo’s shocking national advertising campaign based on the Madonna Like a Prayer video by starting a boycott in his diocese.
PepsiCo folded like a house of cards.
Understandably, Bishop Gracida was upset that PepsiCo had aired a commercial featuring pop music star Madonna and her song 'Like A Prayer,' doing things that he said were sacrilegious on a church altar.
Bishop Gracida got the attention of both PepsiCo and national media with his Diocese-wide boycott of all of PepsiCo’s products, including FritoLay.
PepsiCo’s vending machines were no longer welcomed in the buildings of the Corpus Christi Diocese.
Bishop Gracida wrote to PepsiCo’s area distributor and asked him to remove the machines, but didn't get a response.
Much like the Committee writing to Federated.
So Bishop Gracida publicly called for all Catholics in the Corpus Christi Diocese not to purchase any PepsiCo products.
"Almost immediately” Bishop Gracida “got a call from the Texas distributor then the corporate office in New York called [him] and asked what it would take to get [him] to call it off.”
In the words of Bishop Gracida: "When you throw a pebble in the middle of a pond it makes little ripples that work their way out. Eventually they reach the shore and little by little they change the world around them."
Mr. Zamarrano and his Committee may have rolled a snowball down a snow-covered hill toward Federated.
Repent, Federated, instead of implementing the extreme secularist line.
The Federated chains include:
Bloomingdale's Bon-Macy's Burdine's-Macy's Goldsmith's-Macy's Lazarus-Macy's Macy's East Macy's West Macy's Home Store Rich's Macy's
The Chairman of Federated is Terry Lundgren.
His contact information is:
Let Mr. Lundgren know your opinion.
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