Choosing Sides
Yesterday, Talkleft pointed to a story about a Louisiana God Squad trying to re-inject "Christmas" into the holidays.

Step One: Identify yourself as a Christian by purchasing one of their "We believe in God. Merry Christmas." yard signs. Step Two: Get "Merry Christmas" put back onto the government building that now only says the hateful "season's greetings." Step Three: Boycott all local businesses who do not put "Merry Christmas" signs on their stores and in ads.

Of course this is silly. For one thing, back in the day when Merry Christmas was all we said (and that was because we preferred to believe that Jews, Muslims, and atheists didn't exist.) it was no more of a religious time. So, what, we just want to get back to commercializing only our winter holiday? No corporate watering down of your religion! It's all ours!

But the bigger annoyance to me is the growing separation along political lines. Boycotting this and that. I do it too, of course. I get emails almost every day telling me which advertisers support the local hate-radio stations, and which gave the most money to Bush and other Republicans. And don't get me wrong, it works on me. And on the other side it does as well apparently. They won't go to our shops, listen to our music, see our films; we won't go attend to theirs.

Why don't we cut to the chase and just start requiring red and blue arm bands on everyone, so we'll know where to shop, who to talk to, and who to yell at? I already am a nicer driver to Kerry-stickered cars than I am to W-stickered ones. This kind of thing is only going to get worse, right?

By the way, is it legal for businesses to discriminate based on political beliefs? Can you open a blatantly Republicans-not-welcome establishment? I'm afraid I would go there.