# Resolved: Christmas should be rescinded as a national holiday in the U.S. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 1, 2005, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-christmas-should-be-rescinded-as-a-national-holiday-in-the-u-s/333553 "2005-12-01T14:31:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-christmas-should-be-rescinded-as-a-national-holiday-in-the-u-s/333553/141 "2005-12-03T16:52:19Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Name one. > There were a couple of DOJ lawyers who spoke anonymously. I can’t name them because they spoke anonymously. I’s irrelevant anyway because the ACLU did not attempt- did not “lobby” to stop the prayers sessions so your cite fails on its face. > You said 'lobbying". They _didn’t_ lobby to stop it. Complaining about it on a website is not “lobbying.” > [@](#): > > Almost every single word of this is horseshit. > > Ashcroft did not commandeer anything, the audience was not hostage, no public event was occurring. > > And, as **Psycho Pirate** points out, that you repeatedly insist it is questionable is meaningless. It was entirely within Ashcroft’s rights to hold this meeting. Your statements to the contrary are mere blather. Read the context of that paragraph again, **Shodan**. I was not talking about Ashcroft but about public prayers at football games and valedictory speeches at high school graduations. Read with comprehension next time. I accept your apology in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-christmas-should-be-rescinded-as-a-national-holiday-in-the-u-s/333553/142 "2005-12-03T17:55:40Z")
I suspected we would deny that a press release put out by a Washington based political pressure group would constitute “lobbying”. **tomndebb** - I can’t follow your link back to the WP article. What was claimed was that “many employees” complained that they had felt “pressure” to join Ashcroft’s prayer group. I have no doubt that many people, specifically the ACLU and their ilk, complained about it. That is meaningless - what was alleged has not been proved. What are the names of the employees, and what specifically was the pressure that was exerted on them? Disregarding for the moment the howls of derisive dismissal that would follow a cite from FreeRepublic on any other topic. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-christmas-should-be-rescinded-as-a-national-holiday-in-the-u-s/333553/143 "2005-12-03T18:02:12Z")
> [@](#): > > I have no doubt that many people, specifically the ACLU and their ilk, complained about it. That is meaningless … Jusrt like your claim that the ACLU has ever tried to prevent someone from worshipping. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-christmas-should-be-rescinded-as-a-national-holiday-in-the-u-s/333553/144 "2005-12-03T18:40:15Z")
[QUOTE=Shodan] I suspected we would deny that a press release put out by a Washington based political pressure group would constitute “lobbying”. [.quote] Of course it’s not lobbying. What do you think that word means? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-christmas-should-be-rescinded-as-a-national-holiday-in-the-u-s/333553.md?page=7)