Life imitates parody

A reader writes:

Here’s an update from the People’s Soviet of the San Francisco Bay Area.

I have an acquaintance in that beautiful yet blighted area, and he sent me a “Winter Solstice” newsletter from his “kinship unit.” That’s right. Not only “husband,” “wife,” and “Christmas” are verboten under the leftist world order, but even “family” is now verbum non grata!

Regardless of how the radicals are trying to pervert our world, I say to you and all who read these words, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

- end of initial entry -

James S. writes:

My father sent this. Perhaps this is the parody that your reader’s friend in San Francisco is imitating with his “kinship unit”?

To All My Democratic Friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

LA replies:

Yes, it looks as though it could be the source, except that to be complete it needs to have the addition of something like the bolded words below:

Please accept … my best wishes for an environmentally conscious … celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all, and within the traditional or alternative kinship units of your choice.

LA replies:

Also, I don’t know Latin, but I have my doubts about “verbum non grata.” Shouldn’t it be verbum non gratum?

Posted by Lawrence Auster at December 27, 2007 02:18 PM | Send