Campaign: Don't let grinches censor Christmas

For the sixth year in a row, a campaign has been launched by Liberty Counsel to protect Christmas from censors and other grinches.

It's needed, according to the public interest law firm, because of what is happening to the traditional American holiday across the U.S.

For example, according to Liberty Counsel, the following situations have developed in various jurisdictions and corporations where Christmas has been targeted with censorship:

• In Massachusetts, members of a Bible club wanted to pass out candy canes with an attached religious message but were told by their school superintendent it would violate the rights of the recipients. When the students did it anyway, they were suspended, and it took a 67-page court ruling in their favor for school officials to back off.
  
  
• In Washington, a school girl was not allowed to sing the word "Christmas" and instead was ordered to substitute "winter."
  
  
• In Florida, a school principal initially banned the name "Jesus Christ" on a Christmas party invitation poster.
  
  
• In Virginia, officials at a state school for the deaf and blind banned religious songs from a Christmas program.
  
  

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• In Texas, in a report on volunteer work done for a squadron Christmas party, "Christmas" was crossed out and replaced with "holiday."
  
  
• In another Texas locale, students were told they could not wear red and green because those are Christmas colors.
  
  
• In Arizona, a public school choir director sought legal advice to have her choir perform Christmas carols.
  
  
• In New Jersey, a school banned some Christmas carols in a school program and replaced words in traditional pieces such as "Silent Night" with secular words.
  
  
• In Minnesota, a library tree must be called "holiday" tree because it has become an "offense" to one worker due to its Christian meaning.
  
  
• And, among dozens of other cases, in Illinois an employer told a worker not to say "Merry Christmas."

Liberty Counsel's "Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign" also lists on the organization's website corporations and entities that have made clear their intention to become "Friend" or "Foe."

"Renaming a Christmas tree to a holiday tree, stopping students from wearing red and green, and censoring religious Christmas carols are absurd, but true, examples of the war against Christmas. Over the past few years the 'Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign' has successfully put the 'grinches' on the run. This year millions of Americans will join us to help save Christmas. If a government entity censors Christmas in violation of the Constitution, then we will first seek to educate but, if necessary, we will litigate. If retailers choose to profit from Christmas while pretending it does not exist, then we will patronize their competitors," said Liberty Counsel chief Mathew Staver.

The website reveals some of the "Friends" are Bath and Body Works for advertising "The Perfect Christmas … at Home," BuyAmerican.com, where "Christmas products are called what they are," Cabela's for its "Christmas Shoppe," Chic-fil-A and Dollar Tree.

"Foes" included Albertsons, Amazon.com, Banana Republic, Bloomingdale's, Circuit City, Costco, Disney, Gap and Giant Eagle Pharmacy.

Liberty Counsel also offers a Help Save Christmas Action pack, including educational legal materials to inform government officials, teachers, students, parents, businesses and employees that it is legal to celebrate Christmas.

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