Update: This is my first diary on DKos. Thanks for all of the comments and suggestions!
My father, a staunch Dem, received an email below from a Republican relative the other day. He shared it with me and I have quoted it below.
For My Democratic Friends:
Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.
...the email continued:
We also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the of the generally accepted calendar year 2007, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. And without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishes.
By accepting these greetings you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for herself or himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.
For My Republican Friends: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
My Dad indicated that he was quite offended by the email, and in fact was considering writing the relative back with an "I'm offended with your joke" response, adding that he would nonetheless wish her and ALL of her friends -- independent of political affiliation -- a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Blessed New Year.
I countered, suggesting that this email, in the truest spirit of the season ;-), required a response where we share and share alike, in word and deed, our most honest and heartfelt perspectives. I also thought the the DKos community would be a source for guidance and thought process in response. In that vein, I had started to draft the attached, and hoped for the creative perspectives from the community on other items to add to my list.
To All,
Best Wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy and Blessed New Year!
And here's to hoping that you
- are not finding yourself addicted to Oxycontin to the extent that it renders you deaf, and that you don't find yourself with airport security as you travel over the holidays, holding a prescription for Viagra that was illegally obtained.
- are not finding yourself having to pay millions to settle a harassment lawsuit against a subordinate in your office with whom you attempted to engage in phone sex, suggesting that you shower together with Mediterranean food dish that you confused with a loofah.
Additional items and comments are appreciated.
I welcome commenary as well whether we should stick with my father's original, high road approach.
WTO