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If
enough people find Christmas music in the drug store annoying, they will
patronize the one without the music. If more people like the music in
the drugstore (or find it innocuous), then the store will continue the
music. (Never seen a Santa in a drugstore by the way). I'm not sure what
you mean by commericial motivation and decorations. Are you saying that you
would rather people decorate out of crass commercialism than deeply held
religious beliefs? Our local hardware store puts a nativity set in the window.
Yeah, it has nothing to do with selling hammers, but are you serious in
saying that it is harmful to you in someway? When you go into the Mexican neighborhoods in Chicgo, you will find
giant murals of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the sides of buildings and
almost every store have a picture of her and maybe a crucifix or a
picture of Lazarus next to the cash register. Are we supposed to outlaw
this? |
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- if there WAS a store without christmas music, I would patronize it. (Unfortunately, the way my insurance works, I have few choices in the
drug-store department...).
But really, that would be an interesting study. Have two different
branches of the same store (i.e., with similar merchandaise.) Have one
play Christmas music/put up Christmas decorations, etc. Have the other
keep with its year-round decor/muzak. In mid-January, see if there was any
difference in revenue. And I would say that if the store WITH the
Christmas stuff did not have significantly higher sales, then they should
get rid of it, since it clearly isnt' HELPING sales, and may well be
bothering people ... people who may or may not have much choice about
where they shop.
I am saying that a certain amount of Christmas decorations MAY have
commercial benefit for stores. (As if patrons might forget that it is
Christmas, and FORGET to buy presents if the stores weren't decorated stem
to stern in lights and holly...) So there is, at least, a financial
motivation for them to do it. A motivation that does NOT exist in most
workplaces.
I would PROBABLY find it LESS offensive than the usual decorations,
because creches are usually smaller and less obvious to the eye. And yes,
I could say to myself "This is a religious person who feels the need to
present his religious feelings ... much in the same way the Arab
Christians you mentioned in another post put up icons in their shops.
And, as I think I noted, and Cissy stated so clearly, the biggest part of
the problem, for me is the 'in your face' aspects of Christmas. Those
decorations you describe in Mexican neighborhoods are there all year. They
are part of the cultural wallpaper of the community. They are NOT part of
a 6 week frenzy where you see Christmas decorations everywhere you turn,
have store clerks wish you a merry christmas with every purchase (even
when the purchase is Hanukkah candles...), and have friends confess a
complete inability to understand WHY you don't put up Christmas trees in
YOUR home, wonder if your child feels TERRIBLY left out by not getting
gifts from Santa Claus, and have your boss decide that the spot right next
to YOUR desk would be the perfect spot to set up the office Christmas
tree! A quiet crucifix next to a cash register would be HEAVEN compared to
that! |
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