Macy's Stores Boycotted for Removing 'Merry Christmas'
Fed up with the political correctness that has replaced the greeting Merry Christmas in Federated Department Stores with more neutral phrases like Happy Holidays and Seasons Greetings, one group is encouraging all Americans to boycott its stores including Macys and Bloomingdales during the 2004 Christmas Season.
Manuel Zamorano, chairman of the Committee to Save Merry Christmas, believes that if the systematical removal of references to Merry Christmas in Federated Department Stores is offensive to the sensibilities of millions of average Americans and is plain wrong.
His committee is calling on all those who honor the American tradition and culture of Christmas to respond by in turn removing Federated Department Stores, which includes Bloomingdale's, Bon-Macy's, Burdine's-Macy's, Goldsmith's-Macy's, Lazarus-Macy's, Macy's East, Macy's West and Rich Macys, off their Christmas shopping list.
Its the height of hypocrisy for a corporation to make tens of millions of dollars selling Christmas presents, yet coldly refuse to acknowledge Christmas, said Zamorano. Whats the holiday all about, anyway? Politically-correct phases like Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays are no substitute for the real thing.
Although abstaining from using Merry Christmas before Dec. 25, Federated Department Stores are very willing to use the word Christmas when it suits their needs and do not hesitate to advertise After Christmas Sales, informs the Committee to Save Merry Christmas Web site (www.savemerrychristmas.org).
Zamorano asks any offended Americans to write to Federated Department Stores at
7 West Seventh Street, Cincinnati, OH, 45202, or call them at 513-579-7000.
During the Christmas season, two legal groups have launched their own campaigns to protect religious expression such as saying Merry Christmas.
Alliance Defense Fund announced it will have 700 lawyers prepared as part of its Christmas Project to clear up misconceptions about seasonal religious expression on public property.
Liberty Counsel launched its Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign last week to prevent religious discriminations such as the banning of nativity scenes public property.
"We are resolved to stop the Grinch from stealing Christmas, stated Mathew D. Staver, founder and president of Liberty Counsel. Liberty Counsel will be a friend to those who try to exercise their constitutional liberties and a foe to those who attempt to oppress liberties. This nation was founded by people who sought to freely exercise their religious liberties. We have no intention of letting these liberties fall by the wayside or be chilled every holiday season by uninformed or hostile government officials."