I got an interesting e-mail forwarded to me. It stated that Target was denying their employees the right to say “Merry Christmas” because it might be offensive to some people. Naturally, my first reaction was, “Why aren’t they concerned about those who might find the ban offensive?” However, there’s something more troubling about that that I think takes precedence in America.
It’s the idea that employees have the “right” to say whatever they want to. Presumably, this comes from the idea of the First Amendment, which gives us free speech.
Or does it?
The First Amendment says, in it’s entirety:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
See that first word? Congress cannot make a law. This does not mean that employers cannot make a rule that their employees cannot say certain things. And when an employer decides that certain things may be offensive to their customers, then they certainly have the ability to say, “If you want to work for me, you cannot say this.” It therefore does not violate any rights to say that employees at Target cannot say “Merry Christmas.”
This doesn’t mean I support their decision that the term “Merry Christmas” is offensive. But it also doesn’t mean I support the e-mail boycott of Target for violating a non-existent right too.
