Merry Christmas, Crisis Is Over!
By Mitch Berg
The financial crisis is over! Our bank system is sound!
Seriously!
The FDIC has nothing better to do than harass banks that display Christian seasonal imagery!
Federal Reserve examiners come every four years to make sure banks are complying with a long list of regulations. The examiners came to Perkins last week. And the team from Kansas City deemed a Bible verse of the day, crosses on the teller’s counter and buttons that say “Merry Christmas, God With Us.” were inappropriate. The Bible verse of the day on the bank’s Internet site also had to be taken down.
“I don’t think there should be a problem with them displaying whatever religious symbols they want to display,” said Amy Weierman, a Perkins resident.
Specifically, the feds believed, the symbols violated the discouragement clause of Regulation B of the bank regulations. According to the clause, “…the use of words, symbols, models and other forms of communication … express, imply or suggest a discriminatory preference or policy of exclusion.”
Of course, now that the Feds and, soon, the UN will be regulating what goes on the Internet, I’m sure I’ll have to start wishing people a happy freaking “Festivus” before too long.
December 17th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Sorry Berg. All your blog are now belong to US.
December 17th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
If any for-profit business is stupid enough to limit themselves to customers of one denomination, I’ll be happy to vote with my dollars and take my business elsewhere.
I don’t need mommy government to protect my fragile feelings.
December 17th, 2010 at 4:03 pm
This is, by the way, why many commercial businesses say “Happy Holidays!” They’re not killing Christmas, they’re being intelligently inclusive of their customer base.
December 17th, 2010 at 4:06 pm
Andrew,
Of course. I think it’s silly.
But that it’s the Feds’ problem…oof.
December 17th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Missing the point. We have a government agency extending the fraudulent “separation of church and state” to a non-state entity. Ultimate message: it’s ALL the government now. All your bank belong to US.
December 17th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
It is a business decision, and should remain one. If a bank feels that it is in its best interest to show solidarity with its community then it should do so. If it’s doing business in a small town in the Midwest where “diversity” means Lutheran, Methodist, Pentecostal and two flavors of Baptist but no Buddhist or Eckankar then you could make the argument that it hurts the bank to say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.”
December 17th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
It would be very wrong to go out and shoot stinking Democrats, probably.
December 17th, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Say, Andrew?
Can you use your head to take care of that itch…no, the one on my corn hole.
Thanks, much.
December 18th, 2010 at 11:49 am
A while back, Wells-Fargo bank forced you to read a pro-homosexual message on their cash machines before they would allow you to get some of your own cash. Should have complained to the FDIC?
December 18th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
No Chuck, you should have squirted Ivory liquid dish soap on the screen.