It's funny that a good point coming from Lou Dobbs suddenly sounds bad. PC thuggery is bad, but so are the (equally thuggish) groups complaining about a "War on Christmas." A very noisy group of the population got up in arms about WalMart wishing visitors "Happy Holidays" at its stores instead of "Merry Christmas." Even if no one is offended by "Merry Christmas," the phrase "Happy Holidays" is definitely more welcoming to more people and, really, isn't that part of the spirit of Christmas? Plus, even if one is Christian, there are at least two holidays coming up, exactly one week apart, and some Christians also place value on celebrating the Epiphany. So, while there are some pretty fair reasons why someone could find the assumption behind "Merry Christmas" offensive, there is no reason that anyone should be offended by "Happy Holidays."
That said, the Christmas season is supposed to be about peace (but not in wreath form), love (of Augusto Pinochet and capitalism) and togetherness (only applies to heterosexual, married couples and their totally unplanned children, and like friends and neighbors), so maybe the rest of us should not be offended by anyone who finds offense in attempts at being inoffensive and inclusive. I mean, in reality, Christmas has become a secular holiday (which should really tick off those who are offended by "Happy Holidays"). Just smile back and ask if they have their solstice tree up yet.
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