No, this isn’t a story about the “War on Christmas”, it’s a story that uses Christmas and its symbols as an example of government overreach.

A bank in Oklahoma was forced by federal bank regulators to remove Christian verses and symbols because the Federal bank examiners thought they were “inappropriate”.

Really?

This is the “separation of the church and state” and “non-discrimination” gone wild.  Last time I checked, most banks were private enterprises which were regulated by the federal government.  Furthermore the supposed doctrine of “separation of church and state” doesn’t apply to private enterprises.  It is a prohibition aimed at the  federal government.  And yes, I know it’s not found in the Constitution per se, but the phrase “freedom of religion” is enough for me to agree that the state should not be promoting a single religion.

That said, it has absolutely no say over what a private enterprise might promote or favor.

Which brings us to “non-discrimination”, which one assumes is the real basis for the ruling by the feds here.  The reason for the federal bank examiners decision is a regulation penned by bureaucrats with apparently no understanding of private markets and no concern whatsoever about the impact of their regulation on the real world.  And they essentially decided to interpret those regulations any darn way they feel like interpreting them:

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."

The feds interpret that to mean, for example, a Jew or Muslim or atheist may be offended and believe they may be discriminated against at this bank. It is an appearance of discrimination.

BS.  Here’s a dirty little secret about private enterprises such as banks – if people feel “discriminated” against, they can go elsewhere.  Yup, they actually have a choice.   Don’t like bible verses and Christian crosses, bank at a bank that doesn’t have them.  There is no requirement for a Muslim or atheist to bank there.  None.  Don’t like the Perkins County Bank for that reason?  Go across the street to the Stroud National Bank for heaven sake.

When did the possibility that someone might be offended become the top problem we face, such that the federal government feels the need to move preemptively to ensure that doesn’t happen.

What’s next, the removal of all pork products from grocery stores because they may offend Muslims?  The removal of crosses from church steeples because atheists traveling by may take offense?  This is lunacy.

But, to the point of the title – this little story was picked up and blasted around the blogosphere.  Guess what?

The small-town bank in Oklahoma will be able to restore its Christian signs and symbols after all, thanks in part to public outcry against the Federal Reserve.

That’s right – the bureaucrats backed down.  Why?

The story garnered national attention overnight from bloggers and Twitter users who posted links to KOCO.com’s story.

This is the power of the blogosphere – something that is a force to be reckoned with when riled up and one that people seem to take rather lightly at times.  It’s also an example of why even the smallest stories of government overreach should be addressed.   In fact, it puts and exclamation point on the saying “the price of freedom is eternal vigilance!”

~McQ