I’d Like To Know: Exactly which date does politeness become “offensive”?


Why is it that language and phrases spoken from January to November suddenly become “offensive” in December? When is the exact starting date that it happens so I can avoid those people?

There is no “war on xmas”, but there certainly is a guerilla war on basic civility perpetrated by those who want everyone to participate in “xmas”.

For example, this is a common conversation in October:

          Me:    "Happy Hallowe'en!"
          Them:  "See you on Monday!"
          Me:    [friendly smile, waves]

Then, there’s this common conversation from December:

          Them:  "Merry xmas!"
          Me:    "See you on Monday!"
          Them:  "WHY DON'T YOU JUST TELL ME TO GO **** MYSELF?"

This may be an exaggeration, but there’s a grain of truth.  I’d wager most reading who have been an atheist for over ten years have experienced something similar.  Someone said “merry cheezwhiz” or somesuch, and you responded with one of these phrases or something similar:

          "take care"
          "see you soon / on Monday"
          "have a nice night / weekend"

and you were labled “difficult”, “offensive”, or “trying to ruin other people’s fun”.

There words didn’t suddenly become “offensive” overnight.  The “war” types are demanding participation, whether they admit to it or not.

Comments

  1. Pierce R. Butler says

    According to numerous commenters and at least one blogger in this very cyberspace, “politeness” becomes offensive on the date one moves to Minnesota.

  2. Bruce says

    Their message basically is:
    I’m in the high status group, so everything you like is meaningless trivia, while
    anything I like is the key core of society, so you have to respect it and my authority.
    Submit to my self-assumed superiority, you non-elite!

  3. Who Cares says

    Reminds me that the pope complained that the EU went happy holidays and not merry christmas as if the EU was a secular extension of the RC church.

    So I have to second what Bruce says that it is people who perceive them as the ingroup not getting the recognition they think they deserve to get.