Every Christmas, the Salvation Army can be found outside most supermarkets and malls, ringing their bells with their little red buckets, asking people to spare some change to help the poor, needy, and anyone own on their luck.
But in a few cities around the U.S., some cheap Scrooges who don't want to be reminded of their stinginess have managed to stop the bell ringing, if not banning the red kettles outright.
Meanwhile, England has managed to top them all. After 130 years of rattling tins – they don't ring bells over there – the Salvation Army has been told they can't do it anymore, because it might "offend other religions."
They could shake a tambourine, but they can't shake a can.
Salvation Army volunteers have been told they can't shake their charity tins, because it might harass or intimidate people, or offend other religions. They can't even do it in time to the music.
City councils and the police can enforce the no-rattle rule, and prosecute or ban the scofflaws.
This push to avoid offending religions is nothing new. And of course, by not offending other religions, the UK government has managed to offend all Christians instead.
So in England, they don't want to offend other religions, and in the U.S., they don't want to offend cheap Scrooges by reminding them there are poor people in the world.
God bless us everyone.
Photo credit: Clyde Bentley (Flickr, Creative Commons)
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But in a few cities around the U.S., some cheap Scrooges who don't want to be reminded of their stinginess have managed to stop the bell ringing, if not banning the red kettles outright.
Meanwhile, England has managed to top them all. After 130 years of rattling tins – they don't ring bells over there – the Salvation Army has been told they can't do it anymore, because it might "offend other religions."
They could shake a tambourine, but they can't shake a can.
Salvation Army volunteers have been told they can't shake their charity tins, because it might harass or intimidate people, or offend other religions. They can't even do it in time to the music.
City councils and the police can enforce the no-rattle rule, and prosecute or ban the scofflaws.
This push to avoid offending religions is nothing new. And of course, by not offending other religions, the UK government has managed to offend all Christians instead.
So in England, they don't want to offend other religions, and in the U.S., they don't want to offend cheap Scrooges by reminding them there are poor people in the world.
God bless us everyone.
Photo credit: Clyde Bentley (Flickr, Creative Commons)
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Like this column? Leave a comment, Digg it, or Stumble it.