All Episodes
Previous Next
Dec. 13, 2005 - Rush Limbaugh Program
36:08
December 13, 2005, Tuesday, Hour #2
| Copy link to current segment

Time Text
Thanks, Johnny Donovan.
It brings back fond memories of our time together at WABC.
Johnny Donovan, been there for years and years.
Nice to be with the best staff in all of radio right here in Detroit.
Ann Thomas, my executive producer in the morning.
Brian Morton, our engineer, and Anna Bartolotta, too, running all the controls on our end.
And then back there in New York, Mike Mamone, our broadcast engineer.
Call screener Brett Winterbull, Rush's chief of staff kit, H.R. Carson.
H.R.'s been with the show 15 years, and as I mentioned, the official EIB announcer, Johnny Donovan, Bo Snerdley has the day off, too, because Rush is a bit under the weather.
That's why I'm here, and I know it's always disappointing when it's disappointing to me when I tune in and Rush isn't there.
But I'm thrilled to be here as a, like you, a faithful student of the Limbaugh Institute for Advanced Conservative Studies.
There is no final exam.
We are tested, as you know, every day.
And from all over the country, you are the best informed audience in all of radio.
And it is a pleasure and a privilege to be able to spend some time with you on this, your very favorite radio station.
Well, there's a lot going on in the news, and I'm coming to you from Detroit, the heart of the Midwest, the Motown, the Motor City, and the site of, by the way, Super Bowl 40 coming up next month.
And you hear a lot of bad things about Detroit, and some of them are true, and some of them are not.
You certainly have heard a lot of bad things about the automotive industry and about industry overall.
We're going to talk about that coming up a bit later when we'll welcome in the chairman and CEO of General Motors, Rick Wagner.
Maybe you saw his guest editorial piece December 6th in the Wall Street Journal, and then an editorial piece, in fact, that was just in yesterday talking about the Midwest, Detroit area, Michigan, the Rust Belt, etc.
We're going to talk about all of that.
But right now, I'd like to talk with you about this.
I want to get your feelings, your temperature on something that's been talked about now for years.
But it seems that this year, more and more people are responding and reacting to what appears to be a movement to do away with Christmas.
Now, it started how long ago did we see X-Mess instead of having Christ and Christmas?
That was a long time ago.
But to get to the point now where we have holiday trees instead of Christmas trees and things like that, Christmas is a federal holiday.
It was signed into law by President U.S. Grant.
And yet we're living in a time where some retail outlets won't even say Merry Christmas.
There's a war on Christmas, which happens to be actually the title of a book by John Gibson.
In that, he says, among other things, in Illinois, state government workers were forbidden from saying the words Merry Christmas while at work.
In Rhode Island, local officials banned Christians from participating in a public project to decorate the lawn of City Hall.
Can any of these be true?
A New Jersey school banned even instrumental versions of traditional Christmas carols?
Arizona school officials ruled it unconstitutional for a student to make any reference to the religious history of Christmas in a class project?
We say Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, happy Kwanzaa, happy holiday seasons, greetings.
We are inclusive, and it shouldn't bother anybody if you decide that you're celebrating Kwanzaa as opposed to Christmas, as opposed to Hanukkah or whatever.
It just shouldn't.
And I'm just wondering if you've had enough, and because of that, there are some changes that are being made.
Some stores are being forced into saying Merry Christmas now.
It's rather interesting.
It's fascinating, actually.
But I do want to hear some of your thoughts on it at 1-800-282-2882.
That's 1-800-282-2882.
Your direct line to the Rush Limbaugh Show, the Limbaugh Institute for Advanced Conservative Studies.
I'm Paul W. Smith in for Rush, and it's nice to be able to be with you.
I do want to read a little something to you that my brother Mark, lawyer in Monroe, Michigan, my hometown of Monroe, where I was born and raised, a Midwestern boy.
I did spend some time out east in Philadelphia for five years, or six years rather, in New York City for five years.
But this is back home at WJR in Detroit in the Golden Tower of the Fisher Building.
And this just rang true to me, this thing that was sent along that was, I'm sure it's been all over the place on the internet.
But I'd like to get your thoughts, some of your thoughts, feelings on this piece.
It goes on to say, will we still be in the country of choice and still be America if we continue to make changes forced on us by the people from other countries that came to live in America because it is the country of choice?
Think about it.
All this person has to say, they go on to say, when will they do something about my rights?
I celebrate Christmas, but because it isn't celebrated by everyone, we can no longer say Merry Christmas.
Now it has to be seasons greetings.
It's not Christmas vacation, it's winter break.
And isn't it amazing how this winter break always occurs over the Christmas holiday?
We've gone so far the other way, bent over backwards to not offend anyone, that now I am being offended.
But it seems that no one has a problem with that.
Now, this says it all.
This is supposed to be an editorial written by an American citizen, published in a Tampa newspaper.
I don't know if it was or not.
That's the only problem with the internet.
You never know exactly where some of these things have come from.
But it doesn't matter where this came from because it seems to be right on.
But I certainly want to know if you agree or disagree with this at 1-800-282-2882.
Here's the piece.
I'll read it quickly.
But it's worth hearing, or I wouldn't read it.
Immigrants, not Americans, must adapt.
I'm tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture.
Since the terrorist attacks on September 11th, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Americans.
However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the politically correct crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others.
I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to America.
Our population is almost entirely made up of descendants of immigrants.
However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand.
This idea of America being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity.
As Americans, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language, and our own lifestyle.
This culture has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials, and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.
We speak English, not Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language.
Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language.
In God We Trust is our national motto.
This is not some Christian right-wing political slogan.
We adopted this motto because Christian men and women on Christian principles founded this nation.
And this is clearly documented.
It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools.
If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home because God is part of our culture.
If Stars and Stripes offend you or you don't like Uncle Sam, then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet.
We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change.
And we really don't care how you did things, where you came from.
This is our country, our land, and our lifestyle.
Our First Amendment gives every citizen the right to express his opinion, and we will allow you every opportunity to do so.
But once you're done complaining, whining, griping about our flag, our pledge, our national motto, or our way of life, I highly encourage you to take advantage of one other great American freedom, the right to leave.
It is time for America to speak up.
If you agree, pass this along.
If you don't agree, delete it.
In God We Trust, Amen.
It's very similar to the old America, love it or leave it, isn't it?
And some people fought that old expression, saying, no, no, it's because I love America that I want these changes to take place.
But what has happened to America, where we now know that there are at least 1,500 attorneys who have volunteered to sue any mall or town that tries to keep nativity scenes out of its displays.
About 8,000 public school teachers are signed up, ready to report principals who remove Silent Night from their choir program.
How could we possibly have holiday trees instead of Christmas trees?
That's like calling a menorah a candelabra.
What has happened, and why did we sit back for so many years while this was happening?
It took House Speaker Dennis Haster to get that tree for now maybe the last 10 years being a generic holiday tree there at the Capitol to be once again called a Christmas tree, which is what it is.
What has happened?
And why this year especially are we talking about it more than ever?
This has been a problem that's been creeping up for a long time.
There's nothing new.
I don't even know.
Somebody can Google this and tell me how long ago it was that X-Mess came into vogue, taking Christ out of Christmas right from that beginning many, many years ago.
But if you celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas.
If you celebrate Hanukkah, happy Hanukkah.
If you celebrate Kwanzaa, happy Kwanzaa.
Seasons greetings.
Happy holidays.
From me to you.
And whatever you celebrate, God bless you.
But let us celebrate what we celebrate, and we'll all be just fine.
We'll talk about this when we come back at 1-800-282-2882.
1-800-282-2882.
I'm Paul W. Smith in for Rush Limbaugh.
As we continue, I'm Paul W. Smith in for Rush Limbaugh, Rush a bit under the weather.
We're hoping he'll be back and fine.
Tomorrow, you can be right in touch with us at 1-800-282-2882.
1-800-282-2882.
Let's get right to you on the busy phones.
Tom is on a cell phone from Marion, Indiana.
Tom, welcome in to the Rush Limbaugh Show.
Paul W., thank you.
I've listened to you over the years on WJR in Detroit.
I'm glad to hear you on Russia's show.
Well, thank you, Tom.
You know, I am so glad to see this pushback finally happening because it has always been a vocal minority who have stirred things up.
And with the help and support of the anti-Christian lawyers union, it's created a perceived issue when there really was none.
It's just a small group who stir up the controversy, who try to intimidate businesses, and who have really done a lot of damage when the vast majority of us are in favor of Christmas and are not ashamed of it.
Well, that's a good point, Tom.
And when you consider 85% of Americans say they're Christians, and the idea that this in any way, shape, or form being a violation of church and state separation is so ridiculous and an overused excuse.
I think you're absolutely right.
But I wonder why it's this year, especially, because this has been happening for a while.
Why do you think the pushback is finally happening in such a big way, Tom?
Well, the only conclusion I draw is that you can push people just so far, and you never know really when that's going to happen.
And I just believe it's reached that point now, and it was the natural result of a word.
It was all real anyway.
It was just a minority of people doing this, and finally the majority says enough.
And sometimes it happens sooner, sometimes it happens later.
Well, it's happening now, that's for sure.
Tom, thanks for the call.
We appreciate it.
Michael is listening in on his favorite radio station to the Rush Limbaugh Show and checking in from New Jersey.
Hello, Michael.
Yeah, hi.
You know, I'm sorry.
Your name is Smith.
Paul.
Yes.
Yeah, I'm a little nervous.
Please.
So nothing to be nervous about.
All right.
You know, I was brought up a Hindu, and we always celebrated Christmas.
Everybody said Merry Christmas to me, and never an offense.
I was so appalled when I hear certain people get offended when you say Merry Christmas to them.
And, you know, it's utterly absurd that they made an issue and it had come this far.
I mean, there's a few department stores that I wrote and called up and complained.
They said, this is ridiculous.
I said, look, not even one package on your shelf has the word Christmas.
Not even a light says Christmas.
And they have holiday circulars and they have rows and rows of holiday ornaments and holiday this and holiday that.
But the one thing that's missing is the word Christmas.
Right.
So I made an effort and I called up one corporate and said, yes, they will change.
Help educate me, Michael.
So we say Merry Christmas.
We say happy Hanukkah.
Happy Kwanzaa.
Happy Holiday Seasons greetings.
And it doesn't offend you being raised Hindu.
Is there another holiday I should add to the list?
Well, I kind of lost you there a bit, but like I said, I'm a little nervous.
But another.
Oh, I see what you're saying.
Yes.
Another holiday you should add to the list.
Yeah, I guess Diwali, right?
Diwali is our Christmas.
I could care less, like whoever, if someone came up to me and said hoppy Kwanzaa, it would not offend me.
All right.
Excellent.
Well put, Michael.
Thank you very much.
He is not a Christian.
He is not offended by Christian celebrations.
He shouldn't be, should he?
Jay is on a cell phone calling in from Phoenix, Arizona.
I'm Paul W. Smith in for Rush Limbaugh.
Hello, Jay.
How are you, sir?
I'm good.
I hope you're well.
I'm doing pretty well in the holiday season here.
At this time of the season, I always think back, and this is kind of in honor of a friend of mine who's of Chippewa descent.
Yes.
I wish we could bring back that quote that you said a minute ago.
Let us celebrate what we celebrate, and we'll be fine.
I wish you would have been around about 230 years ago or even 150 years ago when Abe Lincoln was in his heyday and realized that Christians moved into this country and basically quashed that whole notion with the people who were originally living here.
We didn't let them celebrate what they wanted.
I suspect, Jay, I suspect if talk radio existed then, there wouldn't have been.
It would have been strange, but it would have been a very bizarre thing.
My whole point being that we as are, you know, Christians moved into this country and totally obliterated what was existing here.
So we didn't let them celebrate what they wanted.
So I just want people to sit back and realize in this holiday season.
Should we learn something from that, Jay?
Should we learn something from that, Jay, or should we just continue to make the same mistakes?
No, I don't think that, but we should think about it at least.
Consider it that when we say all men are created equal, African Americans, which we call them now, were not treated equally back then.
There was, I think, four votes or ten votes or something like that equaled one white man's vote.
So that's fairly recent thing.
In your mind, help us understand how you've made this connection to celebrating Christmas by name or not.
Yeah, I have no problem with it, but realize that other people celebrated other things before us.
I appreciate that.
And if we had the same sensibilities today, if we had them then, they would have just celebrated what they were celebrating.
I think I understand what you're saying.
Ken is calling in from Sacramento, California on the Rush Limbaugh Show.
Hello, Ken.
Paul W. Smith, what an honor it is to speak with you.
What are you kidding me?
You don't even know me.
No, sir, but I know what you stand for.
I'll tell you, going back about 10 or 15 minutes ago, when you read that piece, clearly it was coming from your heart as well.
And I'll tell you, one thing stands out, and that is, when are we going to speak up?
And that is exactly right.
A couple of callers ago, the guy made the point, you know, I think we, you know, you can only push somebody so far.
And, you know, when some of these retailers and others make such bold moves to label Christmas trees as holiday trees, I challenge us all, 20 million co-listeners here of Rush's show.
Do any of us know a single person that is offended by a Christmas tree, or yeah, a Christmas tree being called a Christmas tree?
That's a good question.
I can't imagine out of this vast audience all over the country on this, your favorite radio station, that we have anybody shaking their head, yes, they're offended by a Christmas tree, or yes, they're offended by the celebration of Christmas.
Ken, Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas to you.
Thanks for calling in.
Let's let Paul do a quick one here.
Less than a minute, Paul, in Georgia.
Hello, Paul.
Hey, how you doing, buddy?
I'm good.
I hope you're well.
You got less than a minute.
Okay, well, I was just packing my pipe with tobacco grown out here in this great state of Georgia.
I just had to, you caught me off guard there.
I was just saying the talk around the local diners down here.
We're in good old southern Georgia.
And it seems like it's just all about the money.
The lawyers are trying to make money.
The corporation is trying to prevent paying lawsuits.
And everybody's just afraid of getting a lot of people.
You bring up a good point, Paul.
We're out of time, unfortunately.
Even the Pope has said, come on now, the commercialization of Christmas is a problem.
We'll keep talking about it here on the Rush Limbaugh Show.
You know, it's interesting.
This may not bother you.
This may be much ado about nothing, but I would sure like to know your thoughts and your opinions at 1-800-282-2882, 1-800-282-2882.
The other day, I was at a recording studio doing some commercials, and I said, as I was leaving, Merry Christmas.
And then I just sensed, you know, you try to be aware of your surroundings.
I just sensed that one of the folks there, they smiled and said, well, Merry Christmas to you.
And I said, well, if you don't celebrate Christmas, so happy Hanukkah then.
Oh, well, thank you very much.
They weren't offended, I don't think.
They understood that I didn't know.
And I say Merry Christmas.
I say happy Hanukkah.
Happy Kwanzaa.
Happy holidays, seasons, greetings.
It shouldn't offend anybody.
We all have our celebrations that we choose to participate in or not, but we should be able to.
And it just, it offends me to walk into a store or someplace where it's so clear that they're avoiding the C-word.
They're afraid to say Christmas.
And they shouldn't be.
At least that's what I think.
That's how I feel.
1-800-282-2882.
Let's see what Heather feels in Illinois.
Heather is checking in here on the Rush Limbaugh Show.
Hi, Heather.
I'm Paul.
Hi, Paul.
I found the etymology from the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language for Xmas.
Oh, good.
So what it states is that from X, the Greek letter Chi, the first letter of Greek meaning Christos.
So they tried to get rid of Christ and they couldn't.
Well, I don't know if it's that.
They said that a lot of people take offense to it and that they shouldn't.
They said it's not for commercial convenience.
It's just actually old Greek.
That's interesting because certainly we assumed that it was done for another reason.
But how long ago did they start using Xmas?
Well, that's the thing.
I can't seem to find that one out.
But if it's from the ancient letter in Greek, then it's got to be for quite a while.
They said it's been used for hundreds of years.
Very good.
Excellent, Heather.
You took the assignment.
You ran with it.
Thank you very much.
Merry Christmas to you.
Merry Christmas to you, too.
Thank you.
Let's go to Margaret, who is checking in from Washington.
Hello, Margaret.
Welcome to the Rush Limbaugh Show.
Hi, Paul, and thanks for taking my call.
Hey, I'd like to comment on a noticeable change this year on my Dish TV network in their Christmas music channel.
Yes.
The day after Thanksgiving, they always start playing Christmas music.
And in the past, they have always had programming that has included a really nice blend of traditional music that's both secular as well as songs about the birth of Christ.
Well, I turned it on the day after Thanksgiving, as usual, and to date, I have not heard one song about the birth of Christ.
Isn't that a shame?
And silver bells.
Isn't that a shame?
Well, I talked to, I called Dish Network and held on for a long time, talked all the way up to the supervisor, and they gave me an email address, and I talked to them, and basically they told me that they are not responsible for the programming, and that the songs I'm hearing do not express any opinion of theirs one way or another.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
But they did give me the email address of the company that is responsible for programming, and I emailed them and asked them why the change this year.
And as of yet, that was three days ago, and as of yet, I have not heard back from them.
Well, God bless you for going that extra mile.
Most people will just give up.
But I would love to hear how this all turns out, Margaret.
And certainly Rush would want to hear.
So stay in touch with the program so that we can find out how this all ends up.
It reminds me, H.R. was just telling me during the break about he's from Maplewood, New Jersey, and they had that big brouhaha there where the school had its concerts and they had religious music, they had secular music.
All of a sudden, the religious music is off the program.
And it's because they didn't want to offend anyone.
And, you know, so let's say you're an atheist.
Well, Frosty the Snowman is perfect for you.
Right?
Let's go to Deborah in Kokomo, Indiana.
Deborah, you're on the Rush Limbaugh Show.
Yes, I have polled the places in our city and the people who don't use Merry Christmas.
I have a saying for them.
If the businesses won't use Merry Christmas or have Salvation Army at their doors, they will not receive my merry money in their stores.
And that goes for all year.
And I have nine DISH TVs.
They will be getting a call.
You have what?
I have nine TVs on Dish.
Oh, please, Deborah.
I got it.
Not in my one house.
Oh, oh, okay.
All right.
I was going to say you have a severe problem.
I was going to say.
I'm not a nut.
Okay.
Well, you know, hey, I wouldn't call you a nut, but I would say you had a severe problem if you have nine Dish TVs in one house.
That would not be so good.
But, Deborah, give me that little poem again, this little rhyming piece.
If businesses won't use Merry Christmas or have the Salvation Army at their doors, they will not receive my Merry Money in their stores.
That's great.
And that goes for all year.
I haven't shopped at a Target in two years.
They still aren't saying Merry Christmas?
No, they won't allow Salvation Army outside their door.
Oh, you know, that's a whole other issue.
And we're very supportive of the Salvation Army, both here at WJR in Detroit and also personally.
And that just drove me crazy when that first started happening, when stores started saying, well, it's disruptive.
We really can't do that.
Because if we do it with them, we have to do it with everyone.
And every other excuse they could come up with.
It was appalling to me.
And I'm glad you brought it up again because, frankly, I hadn't thought about it very much lately.
And I'm sorry to hear that it's still happening at some stores.
This is a time when there are so many people who have needs that we can't ask the government to do and take care of.
But we as individuals can step up and share our good fortune.
And one of the ways we do it is through the Salvation Army.
And it's got to be easy because we don't like to do things that are hard.
And so if it's right there with a bucket and a bell ringer as we go in the store, we put the money in.
And I'm sorry, Deborah, to hear that that's still a problem where you are there in Kokomo, Indiana.
Mark is in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and on the Rush Limbaugh Show.
Hello.
Hello, Paul.
Hey, I think what we should do is we should all go to these stores the day before a quote-unquote holiday and demand to buy our holiday trees.
And keep going every holiday until such time they finally get to the point of what they're actually selling.
Well, I wonder if they have, do they have at those stores, Mark?
We'll have to make note of this.
You'll report to Rush.
Do they have after-holiday sales or after-Christmas sales?
You got a point there.
Do they have a holiday circular or a Christmas circular with their advertising?
Yep, Paul.
I have to ask them that when, like I said, when I go down there and demand my holiday tree, you know, come in the 4th of July, I'll be out there asking for my holiday tree.
When you ask for the holiday tree, remember when you go to the other section of the store and you ask for your holiday tree stand, there's a pretty good chance that the young man or young woman is going to look at you and say, huh?
I don't know about holiday tree stands, but the Christmas tree stands right over there.
Right, right.
Thanks, Mark.
Merry Christmas.
Travis is in Sioux City and now on the Rush Limbaugh Show.
Hello, Travis.
Hey, how you doing today?
I'm good.
How are you doing?
Oh, not bad.
I hear you talking about taking back Christmas and all this.
But, you know, 80% of the American population is Christian or Catholic, so what are you so worried about?
It's not a question of being worried.
I would say that that's why now, with 85% of the people saying they're Christians or Catholic or however you want to put it, that they're finally speaking up and saying, what have you done with our Christmas?
Yeah, but, I mean, it's 15, 20% is a minority.
No, no, I'm talking about the stores.
I'm talking about if it's Target or whoever it might be that is afraid to use the term Christmas, why would that be?
I don't know, but I don't think...
That's what we're asking.
That's what...
That's why we're asking.
I'm not worried about Christmas going away.
I'm not worried at all about that.
They can do a lot of things, but they can't take Christmas away and what Christmas is all about.
That I'm not worried about.
But I appreciate the call as we head over to Clearwater, Florida.
And Adam is checking in.
That's a good name.
That's my son's name.
Adam, hello.
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas to you, Adam.
And I am one Christian who is happy to give holidays to the malls and keep Christ in our own families.
So you'll let the malls have their holidays, not holy days, but holidays.
And you'll keep Christmas.
You have nothing to do with trees.
Christmas has nothing to do with presents.
Christmas has everything to do with celebrating the birth of Jesus.
You're absolutely right.
And if they want that, let them have that.
Let's take back our holiday and keep it with ourselves.
Well, that's actually a very good point, Adam, as we continue here, taking your calls and good points at 1-800-282-2882.
1-800-282-2882.
Your final comments coming up on the Rush Limbaugh Show.
Well, just a note, you like catching up on news, and Rush is always giving you some news that you might have missed.
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America selling their Choice on Earth holiday cards.
They're out there now.
If you want to get them, they say this holiday season, make an online donation to Planned Parenthood, and you can send one of our five Choice on Earth e-cards to your loved ones.
Let them know you've made a very special gift in their honor.
People complained about that last year, too, and it doesn't much matter, I guess.
They're doing it again.
It's 1-800-282-2882.
1-800-282-2882 in Pitosky, Michigan, another beautiful place up northern Michigan that everybody should visit because it's worth it.
Pete is checking in.
Hello, Pete.
Hello, Paul.
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas to you, Pete.
Hey, I just think there's a small faction that thinks they're speaking for the majority of us that, you know, they know our president has such strong faith and belief in Christ.
And I think it's just their deep hatred for our president that's causing all this.
You think so?
I think there's a good chance.
I just think there's so many people around that have a deep hatred for our president, and I think that could have something to do with it.
Interesting observation.
Pete, I hadn't thought about that.
I appreciate you weighing in on that.
I agree with Bill O'Reilly said the other day on Fox.
I don't believe most people who aren't Christian are offended by the words Merry Christmas.
I don't believe that either.
He went on to say, JCPenney says its catalog is always called a Christmas catalog.
Federated department stores, Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Verdin say the words Merry Christmas will be used in most of their advertising.
Same thing at May, Finlenes, Lord and Taylor, and Marshall Fields.
They say they, Bill O'Reilly's show, says that Coles and Sears/slash Kmart are not saying Christmas, kind of not saying Merry Christmas.
They're kind of ducking the question, I guess.
1-800-282-2882.
And Dennis is in Seaside, Oregon, and checking in here on the Rush Limbaugh Show.
Hello, Dennis.
Hi, how are you doing?
I'm doing well.
Hope you're well.
I'm doing great.
It's sunshine, nice weather.
Good.
I wanted to comment on, you know, these people that are all complaining about not being able to say Merry Christmas are the same people who made it so you can't say happy Halloween.
It's got to be fall harvest.
And, you know, the spirit of Christmas, it doesn't matter what you call it.
You don't need to whine about it.
You know, just let everybody be happy.
Merry Christmas or happy holidays.
You know, to me, it's the same thing.
Seasons greetings, happy Kwanzaa, happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas.
Shouldn't matter, should it?
Yeah, it's all the spirit of Christmas can be happy holidays.
I mean, who cares?
I mean, if it offends some people, just like happy Halloween offended other people, then just don't say it.
You know, my fiancé is agnostic.
She doesn't care if people say Merry Christmas.
She says, happy holidays, Merry Christmas.
It just doesn't matter.
It shouldn't bother anybody.
And it shouldn't be a rule in a company or a store that people are not allowed to say it.
And that's what brought us this story and brought it to our attention.
Thanks for your thoughts on that, Dennis.
John is in Crofton, Maryland.
John, are you there, John?
Yes, I'm here.
Hi, John.
It's Paul.
You've got a great show.
You asked, why is this thing coming to a head, a tipping point right now?
I think it's been happening for years.
Well, it has been happening for years.
Why the tipping point?
I like that book.
Why the tipping point?
You mentioned, and I didn't realize this, that Ulysses S. Grant was the president that made it a holiday.
And I remember when I was in school in Newark, New Jersey, when they inserted under God, and I think that was President Eisenhower's idea.
It happened during his administration.
And here we're at war again.
And I think religion becomes a little bit more important when you're at war.
I mean, there are no atheists in a foxhole.
And I believe in that saying.
And I think Christmas of all times of the year is when people are of good cheer.
And I think God-fearing people are of good cheer.
And that's why they just kind of let it go.
They slept it off until I got to give Jerry Falwell credit for getting the lawyers together to fight the ACLU and Barry Lynn's group.
They're a bunch of atheists, and they hate everything American.
They hate European stuff.
Here we had the 500th anniversary of Columbus.
I remember in Newark when I was a school kid, we used to get October 12th off, and they had a big parade.
It was like St. Patty's Day's parade.
And now, you know, in 1992, the 500th year, they downgraded Columbus.
He's a bum right now, as far as these same people are concerned.
So I think John Gibson came out with the book right at the right time.
And I think because of conservative talk radio, not any talk radio, but the other talk radio shows are negligible because they can't really get an audience, so they have their liberals call in here.
But I think it's because we're at war, and we know there's seriousness here.
And the kids, Christmas is about kids.
And if they can't even sing regular Christmas carols in school, you've got to question why.
Why are they doing this?
Is it just because they're secularist, which is a crummy word for an atheist?
I mean, it's just another way they hide their true feelings.
And I think, you know, we're just being too good-natured.
And if 80% of the people in this country are Christian, then one fellow said, well, why bother?
Well, you know, the First Amendment says that Congress would make no law establishing religion, but they always forget the second part after the semicolon.
Or prevent the free exercise thereof.
And we want the free exercise thereof.
The Washington Post does not in any of its ads, and I'm a subscriber.
I get it every day.
I have yet to see Christmas in any department store ad.
John, I appreciate your call.
I'm glad you got that off your chest.
Well done.
We appreciate it.
And John's mentioning Jerry Falwell.
That's the Liberty Council.
That's the nonprofit law firm in Orlando affiliated with Reverend Jerry Falwell that is providing those 1,500 attorneys who have volunteered to sue any mall or town that tries to keep nativity scenes out of its displays.
I'm looking at my money in my wallet.
It says, in God we trust.
People come to this country for freedom.
They come here to make more money than they can make in their country.
God is a part of what we do and part of what we are and how we were founded.
We allow you to come here and be and do whatever you want.
We are inclusive.
We'll have final words on this in just a moment as the Rush Limbaugh Show continues.
Well, I appreciate all your calls on this story about Christmas and taking it back.
We are inclusive.
We welcome you to this country.
We invite you to celebrate whatever holidays are important to you that doesn't offend us.
Our celebrating holidays important to us shouldn't offend you.
But lately, as if we're inviting folks to our table and they're not making any room for us at that table, and that's got to change.
People are reacting and responding to it.
In a moment, we're going to speak with the head of General Motors, Rick Wagner, the chairman and CEO.
Why should it matter to us how this General Motors story ends?
We'll ask Mr. Wagner and we'll have other things to talk about as we continue on the Rush Limbaugh Show.
▲
Export Selection