ACLU Style Political Correctness Hits the USPS
Posted on November 25, 2005
It is official, the United States Postal Service has now folded to the anti-Christmas PC movement. Postal employees are no longer allowed to say to customers “Merry Christmas.” And if that isn’t enough, no more Christmas stamps.
The busiest time of year for the USPS is the Christmas/Chanukah season. More letters, greeting cards, and packages are shipped via the USPS during the last week in November and the first 24 days in December than the rest of the year combined.
We, in our 21st century need for instant gratification, now rely on email, instant messaging, and mobile telephones to do our communication. We no longer take the time to hand write letters and other communications, place a stamp on an envelope, and drop it in a blue box. We now boot up the computer, connect to the internet, type out a message, click send and it’s there. No need for a stamp. No waiting days for it to arrive and days more for a reply.
The USPS has decided that the traditional “Madonna and Child” had to be replaced with “Holiday Cookie” stamps.
From the USPS:
The season kicks off on Oct. 20 with the dedication of the 2005 holiday stamps, celebrating the child in everyone and evoking favorite memories from the simple pleasure of decorating cookies of the season. The stamps, featuring cookie-shaped gingerbread men, Santa Claus, snowmen and an angel, will be dedicated at a special ceremony in the Pillsbury Test Kitchens in Minneapolis. Anita Bizzotto, USPS Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, will be the dedicating official.
“What would the holidays be without cookies? These cookie stamps are a great way to share the joy of the season,” Bizzotto said.
What I cannot figure out is why they are willing to ditch the traditional “Madonna and Child” which is a reproduction of a classic work of art for seemingly secular images of holiday cookies, one of which is a representation of an angel? Excuse me, but wouldn’t an angel be considered a religious symbol? What purpose does it serve to remove a classic work of art that is in keeping with the traditional meaning of the season in favor of a generic animated image of an angel?
The USPS has a limited supply of last year’s Madonna and Child stamps available for purchase. But, once they are gone, there will be no more produced. I see this as another battle won by the secular left in the War on Christmas. The USPS should be ashamed of themselves.
For a personal story on this matter see Darlene’s Place.
h/t Michelle Malkin.
Others: Ann’s Fuse Box
Wizbang has more Holiday P.C.
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19 Responses to “ACLU Style Political Correctness Hits the USPS”
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USPS carries many sets of stamps that are sold only on special request, using their little flag stamps as the default. Selling Madonna and baby Jesus stamps as a default MIGHT be problematic, but selling them to people who request them certainly is not. It simply gives people another avenue to express their religious liberty, which is a protected quantity under the First Amendment, not a barred quantity, as the those who only see the non-establishment side of the First Amendment like to pretend.
Well Alec, what you obviously didn’t read in the story is that the traditional “Madonna and Child” stamps are no longer going to be available. This is just another tidbit in the grand story of the War on Christmas.
They were always a request item. But it’s flawed thinking like yours which has contributed to the removal of Christmas from public life.
I don’t think Alec was saying that, he emphasized MIGHT be problematic, saying that at the very least they should be available to those who request them.
I’m all for stopping the ACLU, but please. I just went to the USPS web site at http://www.usps.com and the stamps you claimn they aren’t selling are right there for anyone to buy.
You can buy the holiday cookie stamps too, but they did not “replace” the traditional Madonna and child stamps. Please don’t use lies to promote your agenda. Or at least fact check your information.
Thanks,
A concerned citizen who wants to win the battle without lying about facts.
drewbacca…
Its in the article above.
“The USPS has a limited supply of last year’s Madonna and Child stamps available for purchase. But, once they are gone, there will be no more produced.”
Interesting, someone accusing us of lies, and not fact checking, who obviously didn’t fact check.
I’m all for underscoring that there are a myriad of ways for celebrating the holiday season, but there’s no real point in ditching the stamps. In fact, speaking (as what would pass as a liberal in these parts), I can’t see any good rationale for it. It’s just plain stupid.
I’m selling Christ child stamps every day at my Post Office, and whether you buy those or cookie stamps, I will cheerfully wish you a “Merry Christmas!” No new Madonna and child stamps were produced this year due to an abundant supply left over from last year. From a Postmaster, these are the facts.
So it is with the critics of the ACLU that they’d rather be mean that be correct.
That’s why we need the ACLU. You have a right to be stupid, to fail to check your facts, and to believe in the deity of your choice. You should give thanks to the ACLU for those rights, since they defended them, successfully, years before you were ever born.
Found this update on RedState:
I called my local Post Office today.
Me: “I heard a rumor that the Madonna and Child stamp is being discontinued. Is that true?”
PO: “I don’t know, let me check.”
PO: “No, nobody here has heard anything about the stamp being cancelled.”
When I was at the post office yesterday, it had a poster advertising the Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa and EID stamps.
Indeed, even the USPS press release says
Five additional stamps from the Holiday Celebration series are currently available nationwide as well: Kwanzaa, the celebration of family, community and culture; Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights; EID, the Muslim Holiday; Madonna and Child, the Christmas stamp; as well as last year’s Holiday Ornaments.
You can buy the Christmas stamp at the post office website.
What I cannot figure out is why they are willing to ditch the traditional “Madonna and Child” which is a reproduction of a classic work of art for seemingly secular images of holiday cookies, one of which is a representation of an angel? Excuse me, but wouldn’t an angel be considered a religious symbol?
I can just see it now… A little man enters The Boss’s office. He walks up the long stretch of carpet towards the imposing mahogany desk, trembling like Oliver Twist, holding his new creations before him. “Th- the stamps you ordered, my Lord”.
The Boss takes the album, reclines in his chair, and starts flicking through. He smiles when he sees the cookie in the shape of a present, and takes a deep drag on his Cuban cigar. But when he turns the next page, his face suddenly darkens.
“What. Is. This.”
“Ah, ah”, the peon leans over the desk and adjusts his spectacles, “why Master, it’s a picture of a cookie in the shape of an ange- … Oh.”
The artist is a small and weedy looking man, with a nervous mannerism. He’s maybe 50 years old, but those years of service have taught his reflexes well. He is already half way to the door by the time The Boss has stood up. He scrabbles with the doorknob as he hears The Boss roaring behind him
“You idiot! You idiot! An angel is a religious symbol, not a secular one. You fool! I said secular! SECULAAR!”
Finally the little man’s hands obey his commands and he’s is out the door. He instinctively ducks as The Boss’s miniature Zen garden explodes on the wall beside his head. Only when he rounds the corner does he pause. Listening carefully, he can still hear The Boss’s ranting, but now it has taken on a more mournful note.
“Foiled! Again! Oh why must I go through this every year… every time I try to… and if that Gribbit at Stop the ACLU picks this up, I’ll never hear the end of it. Tarnation!! Curse those defenders of Christmas! I’ll get them yet!!”
Folks, take it easy. This is simply not true. USPS is still selling all of your favorite stamps. Check out this link!!
http://shop.usps.com/cgi-bin/vsbv/postal_store_non_ssl/display_products/productDetail.jsp?OID=4849178
Ed Darrell and all who can not read or comprehend…
Read the LAST paragraph of the article… go to comment #14…again read…”But, once they are gone, there will be no more produced.”
(2)”The USPS has a limited supply of last year’s Madonna and Child stamps…” + (2)”But, once they are gone, there will be no more produced.” = (4)people that still won’t get it!
Its a lie. you can get religious themed stamps.
“Last year’s Madonna and Child stamps…there will be no more produced.”
That is technically true. Last year’s Madonna stamp is in fact being discontinued. Next year the Post Office is going to replace it with (what else) NEXT YEAR’S MADONNA AND CHILD STAMP. Those evil postal grinches!!
http://www.scottonline.com/NewsandNotes/NN_issues2006.asp
But why does that even matter, Gribbit? Do you really think the USPS should be required to promote christianity?
The real problem is that “Christ”mas has been farmed out to the godless Chinese.
The largest richest department store in the US gets all it stuff from the largest godless communist society in the world, I can see where you would get your panties in a bunch over a stamp.
How can a dozen or so elves compete with 17-18 Million 10 year old Chinese prison workers?
But hey, attack the ACLU for whatever… after all our jobs are gone you can write pithy slogans on the cardboard box you live in on the street.
This story is NOT TRUE. Check your facts.
Story today in a far more reputable rag than this one:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05336/616063.stm
I think that this world is really going to Hell for all the things that they are doing to the world to get Christ out of everything in our life’s,but you know if it wasn’t for God and Jesus Christ none of us would even be on this world at all.So people need to go back and read their Bible’s again.So that they can understand the “TRUE” MEANING OF CHRIST AND CHRISTMAS:” before it’es to late every one.
You know.
If you just told the truth, you would have more credence.
I thought Christians didn’t lie.
However, the lock-step new Kristians see no problem with it.
God save us.