There really ISN'T a Santa Claus!

LauraMax

LauraMax

Cathlete
I don't know if I should be outraged or ROTFLMAO. Are these people for real?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071115/wl_asia_afp/lifestyleaustraliachristmasoffbeat

Santas warned 'ho ho ho' offensive to women Wed Nov 14, 11:04 PM ET

SYDNEY (AFP) - Santas in Australia's largest city have been told not to use Father Christmas's traditional "ho ho ho" greeting because it may be offensive to women, it was reported Thursday.

Sydney's Santa Clauses have instead been instructed to say "ha ha ha" instead, the Daily Telegraph reported.

One disgruntled Santa told the newspaper a recruitment firm warned him not to use "ho ho ho" because it could frighten children and was too close to "ho", a US slang term for prostitute.

"Gimme a break," said Julie Gale, who runs the campaign against sexualising children called Kids Free 2B Kids.

"We are talking about little kids who do not understand that "ho, ho, ho" has any other connotation and nor should they," she told the Telegraph.

"Leave Santa alone."

A local spokesman for the US-based Westaff recruitment firm said it was "misleading" to say the company had banned Santa's traditional greeting and it was being left up to the discretion of the individual Santa himself.
 
There's always one person who has to ruin things for everyone else. I am getting a little tired of this PC stuff. I never in my 28 years of life equated "ho, ho, ho" as being derogatory. Some people just go through life trying to find things to complain about.
 
Maybe he should just refrain from 'ho ho ho' when adressing three women at once. }(

(That's absolutely ridiculous, IMO. And "Santa" doesn't say 'ho' in the same way one says the other kind of 'ho'. It's more of a hogh hogh hogh/hu hu hu ...I can't write it, but I can say it!)
 
OK you really want to laugh? Below is an actual email sent to our mayor by one of our delightful residents last week (with names deleted for obvious reasons). Now, perhaps someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure green garlands & red ribbons originated in Paganism (green garland used to be pine branches, red symbolizing holly) & were adopted by Christianity to make Pagans more comfortable converting. Anyway, here you go:

Dear Mayor XXX:

I object to sectarian holiday decorations paid for with taxpayer dollars:

I have raised objections, for as long as XXX has used them, to the green garlands and red ribbons holiday decorations paid for with public funds that are used to decorate our downtown in the winter holiday season.

Green garlands and red ribbons are NOT secular decorations. They are Christian decorations. In 2007, as was true in 2006, 2005, 2004 and before, I protested to XXX, to XXX, and to XXX that it is religious discrimination and in violation of the separation of Church and State for the township to use public monies for nonsecular decorations.

When I first moved to town in 1986, the town used snowflakes as a holiday decoration. Sadly, the town has gone backwards in its unifying and welcoming of all peoples of all faiths who live, work, and shop in the town.

Past attempts to correct the problem:

I spoke with XXX about this issue on more than one occasion over the last few years. He said that a committee of residents had determined, in their own infinite wisdom, that green garlands and red ribbons are, in fact, secular. There was, at that time, no Jewish resident representation on the Committee. I offered to serve on the Committee but was never invited to any meetings.

XXX assured me two or more years ago that when the green garlands and red ribbons then in XXX possession, were worn and required replacement, that they would be scrapped, and clearly secular decorations would be purchased and hung in their place.

Taxpayer dollars once again used in violation of separation of Church and State:

Last year, there appeared a Letter to the Editor in the News Record by a resident thanking the Holiday Committee for their hard work in purchasing NEW garlands and ribbons and hanging them in the town.

So much for returning to a secular standard once the original purchase required replacement.

2007
Now comes the holiday season of 2007. I want to get your attention now so that this violation of the separation of Church and State, this unwelcoming display to all peoples, funded by XXX tax dollars, can be ended in time to purchase and install secular holiday decorations welcoming to all.

If the town council and administrators continue to think that green garlands and red ribbons are somehow not Christian, then please let me know asap, and I will arrange for the Rabbi of my temple, XXX of Congregation XXX, to meet with you, with XXX and with the Holiday Committee to explain just why she was so very offended when she came to town as our new Rabbi and was greeted by these Christian holiday decorations.

It is now November 5. There is plenty of time to avoid making this horrific mistake again.

Please advise me on your plans to address this issue and redress this grievance in time for the 2007 holiday season.


ETA: jeez, I hope this isn't taken the wrong way. I posted it for your amusement so I hope I didn't offend anyone's religious beliefs. If it helps I'm half Jewish, my dad & cousin are Jewish, & they love Xmas decorations. :)
 
Huh?

I'm all for the separation of Church and State, but I don't get it.

Creches? Definitely Christian.

Red and green? I can't for the life of me figure out HOW they are religiously oriented. (Red blood of Christ? green....? um...I got nothin').

The author of this letter is a might confused, IMO. I think what may have offended the Rabbi was decorating for "Christmas," and not the particular color scheme used in the decorations.
 
I really can't believe some people. Ya know the decorations are for the entire town to enjoy. If you don't like them don't look. We had a town sponsored halloween party for the kids. I didn't really care for it as some of the decorations were scary and I have young children, but I realize that many, many kids went and had a great time and they weren't out doing other bad things on halloween.

Just the same as the town puts up flags for veterans day and on the 4th of July. So not everyone in the US is a citizen so should we not put the flags up for that reason?

I get so annoyed w/ stuff like this. Why not worry about the men out there actually doing wrong to woman and not picking on a santa saying what santas say. x(
 
Oh my god, Laura, I'm fuming right now. That is the most ridiculous letter I've ever read.

(I would have to admit, though, that I associate red and green with Christmas....)

Regardless, this person is being completely, totally, and utterly ridiculous. What a jerk.

Allison
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http://www.picturetrail.com/allisonj90
 
Honestly? Society has become far to self-important. And yes, LauraMax, you will probably get flamed for your post from someone, sigh...thats just the way this world is-totally nuts.
 
I have my own perspective on this stuff since I'm an Albanian Jew. :p I associate red & green w/the holiday season, not w/Xmas.

Also I don't really see Xmas as a religious holiday, I see it as an American holiday. Americans co-opted it in the 19th century & turned it into that wonderful, amazing, mystifying American paradox of incredible greed coupled w/incredible generosity.

Plus it makes everyone act just a little nicer to everyone else. :)
 
Nicely put, my thoughts on Christmas exactly! I love all of the holidays, any chance for me to decorate and celebrate is a joy in my book!:7
 
I heard about the "ho ho ho" this morning on the radio... TOTALLY LUDICROUS. Seriously? People have NOTHING better to focus on, worry about or spend their time on???

I also heard that Lowes is referring to its CHRISTMAS trees in their holiday circular as "FAMILY TREES" in order to not offend anyone... WTF??

This uber-PC society is WACK! :(
 
Maybe those people in Australia are a little too gung HO.

I wonder if they will ban the HO-key pokey.

I hope I can still use my garden HOe.

And what about panty HOse?

And I wonder if the sailors coming into port will get sent to brig for yelling Land HO!"

Yes, I know. You are already thinking that I am HOpeless.

Tally HO ladies!
 
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