"Lock the doors and close the blinds -- we're going for a ride..."

God Bless the American Family Association.

I mean, after all -- they're the ones who took a look in the Lowe's winter catalog and saw that Lowe's was selling not Christmas trees, but "family trees."  They decided to make it known to Lowe's that it is an affront to take the "Christmas" out of Christmas Trees, and Lowe's has since apologized for their mistake. It apparently wasn't caught in the proofreading process.

And you know what? Good for the American Family Association for standing up for what they believe. They're upset that Lowe's is marketing these trees in a certain way? Let them spread forth the information to the masses.  No problem with that.

But I was listening to a right-wing radio show on my way into work this morning (David Burd and Jessica Doyle on WWWT (3WT) in Washington, DC), and I heard them talking about this when one of them mentioned, on air:

What kind of world are we living in where it has to be called a family tree instead of a Christmas tree?

No, you dear, dear asshats.  It doesn't have to be called anything specific. It's not the "secular progressives" who are demanding boycotts of stores which only mention Christmas and aren't inclusive of other seasonal holidays. Ours are not the feelings that are hurt when Christmas trees are referred to as Christmas Trees.

What probably happened here? Lowe's probably included this language to distinguish between the small tabletop Chritsmas trees and the larger, "family-sized" trees.  Perhaps they even decided it would be wider marketing if they use the word "family."  I'm sure it wasn't the AFA's wet dream of a "war on Christmas."

Call it a family tree. Call it a Christmas tree. Do what you'd like. But don't blame the hysteria on the rest of society. We're not the ones having a temper tantrum, AFA.  That would be you.

(And let this be a reminder: only 34 days until Asarah b'Tevet 5768. I'm expecting much sensitivity and heaps of presents yet again...)

EDIT: Our dear friend reader78th, our self-proclaimed "Christian friend who also thinks it's idiotic," showed me this greeting card which is kind of related.  And which made me laugh.

http://store.theonion.com/holiday-card-set-jewish-kids-in-the-window-p-152.html