The Boston Globe, The War On Christmas, And The "Bully Pulpit"
12/03/2012
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The Boston Globe editorializes on the War On Christmas:

"THE WAR over the “war on Christmas” has always been a lopsided battle. On one side, a vocal set of conservative culture warriors works itself into a frenzy every December, pouncing on high-profile targets who prefer using the word “holiday” where “Christmas” used to suffice. The other side is a less-passionate, unorganized set of actors: elected officials, school administrators, office managers, and retail workers who, for the most part, just want to make sure everyone feels welcome during the holiday season. "[Time to call a truce in ‘war on ChristmasDecember 03, 2012]

Well, "everyone" except Christians. And surely, the word "lopsided" applies to the power represented by "elected officials, school administrators, office managers" and retail EMPLOYERS, rather than managers. Retail clerks would frequently prefer to say "Merry Christmas" but are forbidden to do so.

That group seems to represent everybody in power in American society, except possibly the liberal Mainstream Media—who are writing this editorial. You can take an unsigned editorial in the Boston Globe as representing the "Spirit of Holiday Season", Past, Present, and Yet To Come. Talk about lopsided!

The Globe  calls for a truce, which means a surrender on the part of anyone fighting for Christmas, and suggest that Governor Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, who is being questioned this year  over his "holiday tree" stance, and"other public officials" who find themselves on the receiving end of popular complaints should "brush aside the questions." This kind of arrogance would only be good advice if there were no such people as "voters" in Rhode Island. It's not, by the way, something the Globe would tolerate if it were any other kind of popular complaint.

The Globe adds this

"The conservative attack dogs ought to remember that the Christmas spirit is best expressed through charity, forgiveness, and merriment — not shouting from the bully pulpit or through a bullhorn."

This is common misuse of the term "bully pulpit." President Theodore Roosevelt said that his position as Chief Executive gave him a "bully pulpit," "bully" being an expression he used meaning "very good." It meant that if he gave a speech on Americanism, it would be printed in the New York Times, and people would read it.

It had nothing to do with either bullying or actual pulpits. The Editorial Board of the Boston Globe has a "bully pulpit", but the problem is that they don't know what they're talking about.

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