POLITICS: "Non-PC" Christmas Lights to be Axed

In a report by a local Council in England, they have announced that they will be cutting back funding, with a view to stop it altogether, for Christmas lighting in the town of Waveney, Suffolk, England. They cite the reason for the cutbacks as "the festive illuminations do not fit in with its core values of equality and diversity. "




This is crazy! I do not understand the PC crowd sometimes. Doing away with Christmas lights because they cause offence to minorities? The operative word there being minorites. I thought this country was a democracy, where everyone was entitled to freedom of expression and religion, not just those who are from a foreign background.

Why is it that they only get worried about causing offence to the minorities, rather than causing offence to the majority?

Also, something I have noticed from watching kids TV with my daughter, is that they first ram home the fact it is Eid and tell you all about it , how wonderful it is and now they have started running slots on shows about Diwali.

Whilst informing our younglings about other cultures can be a good thing, neglecting and marginalising our own at the same time is not.

You know, I admittedly talk rather poorly against Christians screaming foul when things aren't going their way, but this is something that bugs me. I don't see Christmas as a religious holiday--just the way I was raised, for me it's about family--and maybe that's why this gets to me. But how can they be promoting "equality and diversity" by stopping support for one tradition? Reduce the funding and use it to put up Kwanza or Hanukah decorations--there's equality and diversity.

The last paragraph of the article mentions calling them "Winter Lights" instead of "Christmas Lights", and that was deemed as disrespectful towards Christians. To me, that would be more appropriate--most of the communities I've lived in you go on "Winter Break", you enjoy the "Winter Holidays". Call them "Winter Lights", then you get your lights and you aren't discriminating against non-christians...

Then again, the stores could just buy the lights themselves and vote the council out next time...

So what, let the council stop giving money, I guarentee we'll still have light though.

Just for the record, I am not a christian either, but Christmas is something that is still celebrated none the less, so I take offence at the fact that they want "equality and diversity" at the expense of the very same thing. Bloody stupid councils....

Makes you wander if the councillors/MP's we elect all go to some sort of summer school on "how to reduce your IQ by half" and a special class on "making up laws to annoy the hell out of people, unless they are immigrants"

What?

I do not see anywhere in this report 'immigrants' calling for the ban.

In fact, since I knew this subject was going to be on, I watched Richard and Judy and every single immigrant or child of an 'immigrant' disagreed with the idea of it.

You'll find, that the Council is doing this to remove any of the problems in the future they might gain. All it takes is one smart lawyer and a willing cliant and you can just about sue anyone for anything...and they know this.

We can accept correctness to a certain degree but that is most unhelpful
Hamil Clarke, Ipswich and Suffolk Council for Racial Equality

Good on you Hamil Clarke. Moves like this are only going to stimulate anger and nuture resentment. They are not helpful in any way. Hopefully sensible people of all religions who live in the area will make their voices heard and force the council to rethink such stupidity.

Christmas is enjoyed by many different peoples. Personally I think it's mainly a fantastic holiday for children to get excited and let their imagination run riot. To live for a few weeks in a world of wonderous magic.

Jak

On a side note:

Source
A person who leaves one country to settle permanently in another.

Hmm...

Odd, I thought it was the immigrants that brought Christmas to this Nation.

Its a new generation. They lack the "common sense" genes that we all understand and grew up with.
Something is definately wrong with society.

Whats wrong with a Jewish Minora and/or Christmas decorations that have existed for hundreds of years. I cant print my sentiments here I would get banned.

Odium, again, you are missing my point. I know full well the immigrant community hasn't called for it, hence my question about where the hell do the "elected representatives" get their ideas from about "equality and diversity".

No one asked them to do it, apart from the usual Guardian reading PC crowd, no doubt. And they usually hide themselves away in coffee shops and art gallerys pondering ways to improve the world in their own twisted little image.

About the only guarantee in a democratic, free, diverse society is that you will be offended at some point by something. There is no way to protect every citizen from ever being offended. It is a small cross to bear for freedom of expression.
I'm offended that people get offended.

I am offended that you will be offended by people being offended :/

Whats next, getting rid of BC as a date definition?

edit - link pear shaped

[edit on 7/11/05 by Strodyn]

Ok, I'm not seeing the big deal here, this council, which I'm assuming is part of the government has decided to not flush a few thousand Euro down the toilet on decorative lighting.

Why were they even doing it before, that to me seems like a serious waste of money.

Imagine what it would be like in New York at Christmas without any 'festive fun'

Originally posted by iori_komei
Ok, I'm not seeing the big deal here, this council, which I'm assuming is part of the government has decided to not flush a few thousand Euro down the toilet on decorative lighting.

Why were they even doing it before, that to me seems like a serious waste of money.

Councils are the authorities which manage local civics, education, stuff like that. Basically, elected local busy bodies with little hitler complexes!

And it be Pound Sterling, not Euro's. We haven't taken that up yet.

The point here is that many (if not all) towns across the land put up some sort of decorations for certain times of the year, the most obvious being Christmas.

With the amount of council tax these guys receive, mo ney is not an issue, especially when they will quite happily put aside ten's of thousands for pointless minorities groups, or, like in the case of my local council, sopend £25 million on a new council HQ, instead of the £5 million to upgrade the existing one.

They have the money to burn, as we are taxed to the hilt, so it is not an issue about money. Besides, it is our money anyway, isn't it?

[edit on 7/11/05 by stumason]

Ok, firstly thanks for the coreection there stu. I never hear about pounds anymore, so I just default assume Euros.

But, if they have that much money from tax payers, than there should be a vote on how to spend it, and if they dont want to, anarchy can be a good thing.

Ok, first I know I should have put this in my last post, but the edit button has pulled a Houdini.

Imagine what it would be like in New York at Christmas without any 'festive fun'

Better in my opinion. I dislike light and festive and cheery and good.

But, if they have that much money from tax payers, than there should be a vote on how to spend it, and if they dont want to, anarchy can be a good thing.

The ironic thing is that the councillors think (same with MP's) that because they were voted in they have carte blanche to do what they like, as they assume they have the authority. Consultation with the electorate is not a done thing, unless of course it is election time, then they pretend to listen and care!

They also worry far too much about offending minority groups that the fudge half the programmes they do fund so that they are confused and never get the desired result.

The only voter on spending will be by the council itself, which is full of the PC-Brigade mini Hitlers that are causing the problems.

Originally posted by iori_komei

Imagine what it would be like in New York at Christmas without any 'festive fun'

Better in my opinion. I dislike light and festive and cheery and good.

I have absolutely no retort to that

Sorry, if that is true then I pity you, if it was a joke the I did LOL

Big deal, the Euro-islamic nations are just flexing their muscles, look at the riots in france and other similar Proto-Islamic nations.

Today the lights, tomorrow the entire festivity, the day after Christian persecution.

You know, I'm all for political correctness to a point.
But past that point, its going to far.
People should celebrate whatever holiday they want, and if any immigrant gives them grief, well guess what, you came to this country, so shut up and put up with it.

It really sucks, even at my school (pacific north-west United States) we cant cal the holidays by there names.
Halloween we have to call the autumn or harvest festival, and christmas break, we have to call winter break.
I really dont think that most of the kids that are of different religions would care.