Pet Peeve #42: Tissue Issues

You know, I’m really not one to keep up with current events.  I mentioned to some people this past weekend that I don’t like watching the news because most of it is so biased and sensationalized, that it makes me sick.  I figure the important things will eventually filter down to me.  But even though I’m not the most up-to-date on current events, I know that there are much more important issues than some of the ones I’ve heard about recently.

One that I think is completely ridiculous is the “controversy” of the pink visiting team’s locker room at the University of Iowa’s football stadium.  Apparently the coach of the Iowa football team, who had also been a psychology major, commissioned the visiting team’s locker room at Iowa be painted pink way back in the late 70’s.  This was because he read about studies which concluded that the color pink has a pacifying effect on people… something that would be advantageous to the home team.  Well, as a part of a recent remodelling of the stadium, they decided to make the locker room even more pink by not only painting the walls so, but also making the sinks, toilets, benches, and even the floors and ceiling pink.  Well, apparently a law professor at the school, who also happens to be a woman, upon discovering this, demanded that the locker room be changed because it perpetuates stereotypes about gays and women.  Well, now the National Organization for Women and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance and their lawyers are chiming in saying that it sends a dangerous message that being called a “sissy” or “effeminate” is acceptable and it encourages discrimination.  I’m sorry, but isn’t there a less trivial issue these organizations could concentrate on?  Like perhaps a campaign to have less celophane and tape to peel off a DVD when you buy it new (now that’s annoying).  Gee, I wonder where these people were during the genocide in Darfur… perhaps petitioning to change the name of manhole covers to personhole covers.  I mean talk about making a mountain out of a molehill.

And before you think that I’m just saying this because I don’t like those organizations, I will admit that Christians are guilty of this very often as well.  It makes me a little embarrassed.  I recently read something where a Christian organization was mounting a boycott of Walmart stores because of a company-wide policy to greet shoppers with “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.”  Gee, Rosa Parks would have been proud….

I mean, come on people.  Is this really a fight worth fighting?  Granted, the P.C. term of “Happy Holidays” is up there on my pet peeve list, but I don’t think that if a company decides to use it, I’m going to be outraged about it.  Heck, if it was the company policy to greet shoppers with “Satan’s dominion is forever!” I might turn around and walk out of the store, but I’m not going to say it isn’t their right to say it… even though it probably wouldn’t the best thing for creating loyal customers.  (Although, I think Best Buy probably has this as their secret company mission statement.)

Well, in this great country anyone has a right to demand a school change the color of their locker rooms or organize a boycott for not being greeted properly or stage a protest over there being carrots in the school cafeteria instead of green beans.  I think this is great because it means there is also the same right to speak out against true injustice and fight for relevant social change when needed.  And it’s great that people are exercising that right… no matter how stupid the cause.  Just like I have the right to make fun of them.

By the way, I challenge all the Christian readers out there not to cave and become a “Happy Holidays” lemming.  If you see someone who either is at least a nominal Christian or at the very least not Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or Kwanzaa..ist(?), give them a big smile and wish them a “Merry CHRISTmas.”  I once caught myself saying “Happy Holidays” at church… oh the horror… well, never again.  “Christmas” is not a taboo word.  Don’t let the P.C. world make you feel like it is.

Oh and instead of boycotting organizations that are afraid of offending anyone by acknowledging Christianity, why not give your patronage to the ones that are boldly unapologetic for having Christian roots… like the Salvation Army or Chick-fil-A.  If you click on the previous links you will go to their corporate histories and statements.  I especially like Chick-fil-A’s where they actually state that they exist “to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”

That is all.