# Need help with holiday UL: Is there a town where wearing red and green are banned? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 11, 2005, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155 "2005-12-11T19:04:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155/1 "2005-12-11T19:04:11Z")
My pastor, the GlurgeMeister, he of the excitedly repeated conservative talk-radio factoids and the congenital inattention to detail, gave us the following this morning, as an illustration of how the Secular Humanists are taking over Christmas ( " :eek: " ) : > [@](#): > > _Yeah, you know, there’s even a town out West where they passed an ordinance saying it’s illegal to wear the colors red and green! Do you believe that?!_ And I muttered under my breath, “No.” Which made the Better Half snicker, as he knows how I feel about Pastor’s glurge. Anyway. I can’t find anything on Snopes or the Web; the closest I can get is the Texas school district that said “No red or green decorations at the Christmas party” last year. [http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE\_ID=41955](http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=41955) Knowing him, it’s not much of a stretch from “school district” to “town” , and from “single incident” to “ordinance”, but I thought I’d ask. Anybody? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155/2 "2005-12-11T19:52:09Z")
> [@](#): > > GIBSON: Well, no, he is. And if you say to Barry, ‘When did a > Christmas tree become a religious symbol?’ I mean, most Christians > don’t look at a Christmas tree and say, ‘That’s a symbol of my > religion.’ But he says if there’s any celebration of Christmas in > school—and he includes a tree or Santa Claus, or even the colors red > and green, then it has to be forbidden. I mean, look, this is how in > Plano, Texas, the school district got around the banning red and green > in the school. > ROBERTSON: Red and green? [http://groups.google.com/group/Christlike/browse\_thread/thread/586b4353422726a5/16406a9e2cffef69?lnk=st&q=red+green+illegal+christmas&rnum=4#16406a9e2cffef69](http://groups.google.com/group/Christlike/browse_thread/thread/586b4353422726a5/16406a9e2cffef69?lnk=st&q=red+green+illegal+christmas&rnum=4#16406a9e2cffef69) From a usenet posting This would be Pat Robertson and Josh Gibson. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155/3 "2005-12-11T19:58:27Z")
I was hoping it was Oscar Robertson and Mel Gibson. [This may be the case that they are referring to.](http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/12/27/schoolreligion/) Note the date. I found plenty of other hits for Plano + “red and green,” but that’s the first one I found that isn’t on World Net Daily or a heavily “anti-War on Christmas” type site. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155/4 "2005-12-11T20:21:52Z")
The only thing I could think of might be a school district which bans red and green because they’re gang colors. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155/5 "2005-12-11T20:27:01Z")
Actually, rereading **DDG’s** OP, she knew what it was. She just wondered how red and green plates and napkins had morphed into “wearing red and green.” ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155/6 "2005-12-11T20:46:59Z")
Wouldn’t a town law against wearing red and green be more likely to be a law promoted and passed by fundamentalist Christians opposed to secular celebrations of commercial Santa-Claus Christmas than > [@](#): > > an illustration of how the Secular Humanists are taking over Christmas Why would a bunch of atheists or sec humanists or sep-of-church-and-state folks go after red and green? That would be like banning chocolate easter bunnies from the gift shops of hospitals receiving government funding during easter season! ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155/7 "2005-12-11T21:09:32Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Why would a bunch of atheists or sec humanists or sep-of-church-and-state folks go after red and green? That would be like banning chocolate easter bunnies from the gift shops of hospitals receiving government funding during easter season! You’re bringing logic into it again. Logic plays no part in the search for self-martyrdom that is modern conservative Christianity. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155/8 "2005-12-13T14:35:06Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Actually, rereading **DDG’s** OP, she knew what it was. She just wondered how red and green plates and napkins had morphed into “wearing red and green.” Yeah. But Pastor’s done this sort of thing before–his rendition of the “Teenage Romanian Martyrs” changes subtly every time he uses it in a sermon–so somehow I’m not surprised to see “school bans red and green napkins” morph into “town bans red and green clothing”. But I’m kinda out of the loop where news items concerning “Outrages Perpetrated By The Evil Forces Of Secular Humanism” are concerned, so I thought I’d check to see if anyone had heard anything. Thanks all. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155/9 "2005-12-13T23:29:41Z")
Adding to the ignorance, [Bill O’Reilly](http://mediamatters.org/items/200512130006) on Faux News: > [@](#): > > On December 9, Bill O’Reilly falsely claimed on both Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor and the nationally syndicated The Radio Factor with Bill O’Reilly that the Plano Independent School District (Texas) “told students they couldn’t wear red and green because they were Christmas colors.” Just another UL, being spread by morons looking for an excuse to hate someone. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155/10 "2005-12-13T23:43:31Z")
Why did you say “no” under your breath? Why not call him on his bullshit instead of letting him get away with it? Someone has to make a stand for common sense! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155/11 "2005-12-13T23:47:45Z")
The OP was written on Sunday, and while I’m not Christian, I don’t think it’s appropriate to talk back during the church service. So that’s probably why she just said no under her breath. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155/12 "2005-12-14T01:20:10Z")
Yeah, there’s no way short of James Bond super-villain mind-altering drugs that I could ever be induced to stand up in the middle of Sunday morning service and tell the pastor to quit retailing glurge. Besides, he’s basically a nice guy, salt of the earth, unpretentious, honest, kind, sincere, the works. He just happens to believe that everything that arrives in his In box is true, that’s all. The Bill O’Reilly factoid, then (December 9, yep, the date fits) is almost certainly what he heard, or heard _about_, at second- or third- or fourth-hand, marvelously morphed in his own inimitable fashion into “town bans wearing of red and green”. Thanks, Danalan. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155/13 "2005-12-14T01:35:36Z")
Eve, if it makes you feel better, I did call him on one thing, but at long distance–I wrote him a letter. One morning he told us in great excitement about some atrocity being perpetrated, I don’t even remember what it was, and it was so obviously an Onion story that I was dumbfounded when it didn’t turn up on the Onion. But then I discovered that there’s a sort of Onion-For-Christians website called the [holyobserver.com](http://holyobserver.com), and sure enough, there it was on their front page (whatever it was). So I wrote him a very polite letter, included a copy of their disclaimer, explained that it was a parody website, and left it at that. And I also once wrote him a four-page letter telling him, very politely, exactly how his proposal to “hire ourselves a black minister in order to do outreach to black folks” was racist. He was VERY shocked and upset that anyone would think he was a racist, called me on the phone, nearly cried (and yes, he used the line “my best friend in college was black”) and the very next Sunday devoted a good part of his sermon to emotionally, and I believe sincerely, disclaiming any imputations of racism. He really does think that “they have a different culture”, etc. And not incidentally he publicly repudiated his “neat idea” about hiring a black guy to do outreach to Black Folks, so at least _that’s_ off the church’s plate. So I do call him on the more egregious ones. But the rest, eh, life’s too short. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155/14 "2005-12-14T02:01:12Z")
> [@Duck Duck Goose](#): > > Besides, he’s basically a nice guy, salt of the earth, unpretentious, honest, kind, sincere, the works. [Gene Wilder in Blazing Saddles] You know… a moron. [/Gene Wilder in Blazing Saddles] ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155/15 "2005-12-14T02:15:32Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Why did you say “no” under your breath? Why not call him on his bullshit instead of letting him get away with it? Someone has to make a stand for common sense! Slight hijack: [Reminded me of this](http://homepage.mac.com/rcareaga/diebold/big_die/diebold_6.jpg) Ignore the text at the bottom, as they don’t apply to this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155/16 "2005-12-14T13:26:14Z")
> [@Danalan](#): > > Adding to the ignorance, [Bill O’Reilly](http://mediamatters.org/items/200512130006) on Faux News: > > Just another UL, being spread by morons looking for an excuse to hate someone. The Plano ISD had, in fact, requested he retract his statement. [http://www.pisd.edu/news/archive/2005-06/oreilly.report.shtml](http://www.pisd.edu/news/archive/2005-06/oreilly.report.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155/17 "2005-12-14T13:37:42Z")
> [@Turek](#): > > The Plano ISD had, in fact, requested he retract his statement. > > [http://www.pisd.edu/news/archive/2005-06/oreilly.report.shtml](http://www.pisd.edu/news/archive/2005-06/oreilly.report.shtml) Another example of humanism trying to dictate to good Christians how they should think. I mean, really, a good Christian hate monger having to retract something merely because it is wrong? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155/18 "2005-12-15T19:04:45Z")
For another rebuttal cite, here’s [www.mediamatters.org](http://www.mediamatters.org) Mr. Gibson and Mr. O’Reilly are getting a lot of mileage out of their scam, but it just isn’t true. There is no War Against Christmas. The Christian churches in the US now have more power than at any time in history, and yet some of them are howling, “Discrimination! Persecution!” ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155/19 "2005-12-15T19:45:51Z")
\ Moved to Great Debates. This has moved beyond the original question, and into religious discussion. \ ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155/20 "2005-12-15T20:28:14Z")
I’d think that Christians who were truly worried about Christmas would object to the display of red and green, snowmen, Christmas trees, wreathes, gift-giving and even Santa Claus, since all of this is part of the secular Christmas tradition. I’d respect someone who did, since it’s really been bastardized into a huge materialistic, commercial excess, and I’m saying that as an atheist. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-holiday-ul-is-there-a-town-where-wearing-red-and-green-are-banned/335155.md?page=2)