You're a Mean One, Grinch Alert

[paft.livejournal.com]

Robert Jeffress:

Well, you know every year people bemoan the War on Christmas and I thought, “Let’s do something positive about it,” so we created this website, Grinchalert.com, it allows people to go on our website and, uh, if they’ve encountered a business that shuns Christmas they can talk about it and put that business on the naughty list but if they find a business that celebrates Christmas, they can put that business on the nice list. It’s just a fun way to say to businesses and organizations, “You don’t have to bow to political correctness. It’s okay to say, “Merry Christmas…”

John Roberts: What if businesses who are on the naughty list lose customers?... Would it be a good idea to affect people’s business at this season, which can be make or break for some people, and in this economic climate?

Jeffress: John, let me make it clear, we have never even hinted at a boycott…

"Never even hinted at a boycott?" Really? Here’s what Jeffress said on Fox:

Jeffress: One great example in the Dallas area, there was a bank that took down a Christmas tree because they said it would offend customers. Well, there was another bank that got put on our nice list, the Providence Bank, because they put up a nativity scene. The CEO told me yesterday that there were customers changing from the bank that removed the Christmas tree, and they’re flocking to his bank.

Gretchen Carlson: You are not calling for a boycott of any of these businesses….

Jeffress: Oh, not at all, not in any way! You know, there’s a Mexican restaurant you mentioned that was saying Happy Holidays, but our family still goes there every week…

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com

So it’s all about reassuring businesses. Honest! It’s all about making them feel nice and safe. He’s not advocating a boycott.

But he’s delighted to share as an example that little story of a bank losing customers because they took down a Christmas tree.

See, here's what mystifies me about this... Jeffress likes the idea of forcing other people and businesses to utter "Merry Christmas" and post signs saying "Merry Christmas" who are uncomfortable doing it. Do the people at "Grinch Alert" really imagine that businesses and retailers intimidated into towing Grinch Alert's line are acting in the spirit of the season?

And here's one more video, especially for the Reverend Mr. Jeffress:

Thanx to Juliebogen

Crossposted at Thoughtcrimes

Comments

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

At what point did this list become one of businesses to avoid?

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see the semantical distinction you are making now.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

Semantical distinction?

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Yeah. He clearly wants to avoid saying boycott, but everyone knows that is what the list is for....

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

If someone were to use the list to boycott business one way or the other, well they cannot stop them.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

As was mine. :-)

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

He wants to avoid it so much that he explicitly says no to it. Okay...

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

He just doesn't want the negative press of boycotting something at Christmas (boohoo), so he's claiming that its not a boycott list, but that is exactly what he is doing anyway. The primary way to use that list is to choose which businesses you want to patronize and which you don't, don't see why that is a big deal either way, but he should own up to it.

I would just own up to it and call it a boycott, if it were me.

[jerseycajun.livejournal.com]

In fairness, the idea of segregating businesses out into "nice" and "naughty" lists carries with it unavoidable connotations of advice.

That said, regardless of what one calls it, it's still free speech and free association, so it's a molehill as far as issues go as far as I'm concerned, but we sure are on our way to making this a 300+ comment mountain of a thread.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

500+