State Agency Changes Position On 'Merry Christmas'

11/27 UPDATE: By KTOK's Melissa Gandall and Bill Bateman at the State Capitol ~ It was a mistake. That's the admission from a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services, following a series of e-mails which went out to workers cautioning against the use of phrases like, "Merry Christmas." A statement issued by the department Monday reads, in part; "We did not mean to restrict staff speech or prohibit anyone from following traditions and customs with co-workers who celebrate the same holidays. DRS has 915 employees and we value all of our staff who come from very diverse backgrounds." Spokeswoman Jody Harlan says the memos were intended to remind employees that any type of religious harassment will not be tolerated and could lead to employee termination. 11/24 UPDATE: Governor Brad Henry's spokesman, Paul Sund, asked if the governor has a position on this issue, told The McCarville Report Online, "Our position is no one should be punished for saying Merry Christmas. It seems another case of political correctness taken to a ridiculous extreme." 11/23 Some state employees have been told they can't say "Merry Christmas." Nope, it is "Happy Holidays." What poppycock! Read more on Brandon Dutcher's blog

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