By M. Martin
Oregon writer
I was reading the Portland Tribune and I came across a local realtor ad that featured Mickey Mouse wishing everyone a Happy December. Just when you think society can’t water down or move away from Merry Christmas even further, out comes Happy December. That is the most sanitized and unwelcome greeting I think I have ever heard.
The “feel the joy” Christmas sweater with hand-prints on the bosom seemed to stand out even more during this season of our country’s sexual harassment awakening. Will such shirts become taboo next year? Probably not as we all see an increase in people wearing shirts with more profanity, nudity and vulgar images.
While in Fred Meyers this holiday season I noticed a commando soldier set called Peacemakers fully armed with his peace tools of a machine gun, four grenades and a knife. I have no idea whether this peacemaker title was created out of a progressive mindset to tone down traditional words associated with war or molded out of a conservative mindset aiming to re-image the impression of soldiers to help broaden their appeal and increase sales. It instantly reminded me of the 1980’s Reagan era which created the Peacekeeper missile and popular Peace through Strength phrase. I found it humorous.
Finally, this photo [5] emerged this season showing a toddler using sign language to signal the word help to his mom.