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talkpoliticsRobert 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
Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 11/12/10 04:13 (UTC)As clearly stated in the OP, from being perceived as hurting struggling businesses during Christmas.
what is really the problem here?
For (at least) the ninth time, the problem is they wont admit to boycotting and yet they are offering the tools to boycott.
I defy you to justify that one, else take it back.
Or what
You lack integrity.
Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 11/12/10 04:21 (UTC)o_O
Seriously? That's a laughable reason for getting annoyed with the content of a website.
You lack integrity.
Are you joking? This is a LJ community, not Capitol Hill. If you come here for integrity, I pity you.
Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 11/12/10 19:19 (UTC)Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 11/12/10 20:30 (UTC)Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 11/12/10 20:42 (UTC)Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 11/12/10 20:48 (UTC)You can call it whatever you like, but you are being inconsistent. First you attack the website and the group who started it, then you attack the general idea that people are allowed to pick and choose where they spend their money. So who is your actual target in this whole issue?
Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 11/12/10 21:06 (UTC)I have no problem with boycotts as a tactic, but that does not mean I support every boycott. I disagree with this one. Strongly. And so I've said so. Quite consistently.
Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 11/12/10 21:30 (UTC)I have no problem with boycotts as a tactic, but that does not mean I support every boycott. I disagree with this one. Strongly. And there's your inconsistency.
Aside from the fact that this isn't a call for a mass boycott (or even a call for individual boycotts in general), you say you have NO PROBLEM with boycotts as a tactic. Yes, you have every right to NOT support this website, but NO ONE IS DEMANDING YOU DO. So why raise such a major stink about it?
By the way, you ARE aware that on the ENTIRE 'Naughty' list, only one person has said they quit buying from one store? Oh, and did I mention the full quote says they "quit buying from them years ago"? In other words, some people are posting entries for businesses they haven't gone through in years, yet they're still open. What a surprise!
Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 11/12/10 21:38 (UTC)I "raise a major stink about it" because I think what this Grinch Alert is doing stinks.
Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 11/12/10 21:44 (UTC)Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 11/12/10 21:47 (UTC)Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 11/12/10 21:53 (UTC)Do you or do you not agree that websites can be set up for whatever reason as long as they're within the legal parameters?
Is there anything illegal about what this website is doing?
If everything is kosher, then why not just ignore the website instead of trying to turn it into some national tragedy? JFC!
Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 11/12/10 21:58 (UTC)Yes, of course I agree that websites can be set up for whatever reason as long as they're within legal parameters. Does that mean I cannot criticize websites?
No, there is nothing illegal about what Grinch Alert is doing. Have I said there was?
"National tragedy?" Where have I said that?
You do realize that an act being legal doesn't make it above criticism, right?
Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 11/12/10 22:07 (UTC)I'm not saying they're not above criticism, but you're REASON for criticizing them is questionable.
Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 11/12/10 22:12 (UTC)But not specifically because they are a religious group. I have no problem with religious groups having websites.
Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 11/12/10 22:19 (UTC)Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 11/12/10 22:23 (UTC)Are you claiming that people and businesses that say "Happy Holidays" are somehow repudiating Christmas?
Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 11/12/10 22:45 (UTC)I have a problem with the setting up websites to intimidate businesses that don't recognize Chrstmas in exactly the way they want Christmas recognized. Do you have a problem with websites being set up to intimidate people or groups to say or do certain things in general?
Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 11/12/10 22:56 (UTC)Where I have I denounced banks putting Christmas decorations up, or employees choosing what greeting they prefer?
M: Do you have a problem with websites being set up to intimidate people or groups to say or do certain things in general?
That depends on what those "certain things" are. If, for instance, someone set up a website calling for a boycott of a store where black consumers are routinely insulted, ignored, and referred to as "nigger" then no, i would not have a problem with that. If they set up a website calling for a boycott of a store because the owner was of mixed race, then yes, I would have a problem with it.
I believe we've already gone over this.
Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 11/12/10 22:58 (UTC)Well no one's attacking race here. They're giving a thumbs up or thumbs down to businesses that choose to recognize Christmas. Nothing wrong with that at all.
I think we're done here.
Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 11/12/10 23:03 (UTC)I never claimed anyone was attacking race. I was using a case of an explicitly racist business facing a boycott as an example.
Re: you are trolling again I see....
Date: 12/12/10 20:10 (UTC)