The Phony War on Christmas (Updated) 0

I wasn’t sure what I thought about the City of Philadelphia’s removing the “Christmas Village” sign from a set of temporary shopping booths on Dilworth Plaza.

Dilworth Plaza, for those of you unlucky enough not to have visited the greatest city with an inferiority complex in the United States, refers to the portions of the block occupied by the Philadelphia City Hall (arguably one of the ugliest buildings on the east coast) where City Hall isn’t.

At first I thought that it was a little silly to drop the “Christmas,” even though I could understand persons’ having qualms because the so-called “Christmas village” was on public land.

Then I remembered that the “Christmas Village” sign was pimping a temporary shopping center on public property.

The whole thing had nothing whatsoever to do with the true meaning of Christmas.

It’s all about the true meaning of an American Christmas: bamboozling people into buying stuff they don’t need for people they don’t like at prices they can’t afford.

After thinking about it, I have decided it’s not the “Christmas Village” sign that should go. It’s the whole damned shopping village that should go–off to some place zoned retail.

The Inky reviews the controversy. Follow the link for the full story:

It began when word got to Managing Director Rich Negrin that some city workers and residents were offended by the giant “Christmas Village” sign erected on Dilworth Plaza’s northwest corner.

After all, there are a few Jewish and Muslim vendors among the nearly 50 wooden booths that make up Philadelphia’s version of the traditional German Christmas village, which officially opened here Thursday.

There was also a story that reached Negrin about a little Jewish girl walking with her father who asked, according to Negrin: “Dad, don’t we get a village?”

Addendum:

Via Field, the sign is back. Now everyone is once again able to worship mammon in the name of Christ. Field reports.