International Railroad Discussion > Maybe There's Hope For Mexico Yet

Here's one of the cars on the KCSdeM CHRISTMAS train.

Note that it includes a nativity scene, something that, thanks to political correctness run amok, you'd NEVER see on a HOLIDAY train here in the good ol' USA.

---

Looks like they got it right!

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here's one of the cars on the KCSdeM CHRISTMAS
> train.
>
> Note that it includes a nativity scene, something
> that, thanks to political correctness run amok,
> you'd NEVER see on a HOLIDAY train here in the
> good ol' USA.


A US private railroad can choose to do any holiday scene it wants.

But the U.S. railroads probably because they run the risk of upsetting some group who feels "disrespected."

ATSF3751 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A US private railroad can choose to do any holiday
> scene it wants.

True. And imagine the firestorm of controversy and the amount of offended sensibilities in today's hyper-charged PC environment if they were to operate a CHRISTMAS train (not a "Holiday Train", mind you) that would include a nativity scene.

THAT'S what makes the KCSdeM train so special and noteworthy --- and something you'd never see here in the USA -- the so-called "Land of the Free."

In the USA today, freedom of expression is now practiced up to the point where it might start offending someone.

Interesting that Mexico is thumbing its nose at the pressures of Political Correctness.

In that respect, they're the country that we once were.

My hat's off to them --- and KCSdeM.

THANK YOU, KCSdeM, for your courage!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/01/14 13:47 by CA_Sou_MA_Agent.

andersonb109 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> But the U.S. railroads probably because they run
> the risk of upsetting some group who feels
> "disrespected."

BINGO!

In regards to the Political Correctness, I saw this the other day and thought it was pretty good, as a definition of PC.

"Political Correctness is a doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and promoted by the mainstream media which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a piece of feces by the clean end."

Kinda says alot. And yes Kudo's to KCS for doing what they have here. Just my thoughts. Ben

Would be interesting to see the comments here if some railroad put a Buddha, minarets or Mogen David on a flat car and ran it around the country. Just sayin'

Different country, different culture.......you guys should prob consider this aspect before going on strange rants/tangents.

In Mexico (and other LatAm countries), Catholicism is, on average, much more important to the locals in their daily lives, and, as a rule, those countries tend to be a lot more homogenous in the religion aspect than the US.
I would be VERY surprised if I saw a "Happy Holidays" (as opposed to a Merry Christmas/Feliz Navidad) train down there......

On the other hand, due to our diversity and, relative to our southern neighbors, secularity, a Happy Holidays train is prob more appropriate up here in the States.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/14 06:38 by chs7-321.

chs7-321 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Different country, different culture.......you
> guys should prob consider this aspect before going
> on strange rants/tangents.
>
> In Mexico (and other LatAm countries), Catholicism
> is, on average, much more important to the locals
> in their daily lives, and, as a rule, those
> countries tend to be a lot more homogenous in the
> religion aspect than the US.
> I would be VERY surprised if I saw a "Happy
> Holidays" (as opposed to a Merry Christmas/Feliz
> Navidad) train down there......
>
> On the other hand, due to our diversity and,
> relative to our southern neighbors, secularity, a
> Happy Holidays train is prob more appropriate up
> here in the States.

I don't think you're taking into consideration the power and influence of political correctness in the extreme, as what we've seen practiced here in the USA for the past couple of decades or so.

I'm sure that SOMEWHERE in Mexico, there is a practicing Hindu or Muslim or Buddhist or atheist. Political correctness, in its purest form, would spring into action if JUST ONE of those individuals expressed that their sensitivities were trampled upon and their feelings were hurt by a Christian nativity scene on a display train. The "corrective action" would have the train converted from a "CHRISTMAS TRAIN" to a "HOLIDAY TRAIN" and the nativity scene being removed.

Under PC, the majority does not set the terms. The minority does.

The cause for celebration here is that Mexico and KCSdeM have not, thus far, knuckled under to this intimidation tactic.

Maybe our southern neighbors will be intelligent enough to not allow Political Correctness to establish a beachhead in their culture.

We can only hope.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/14 15:06 by CA_Sou_MA_Agent.

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> THANK YOU, KCSdeM, for your courage!

It doesn't take courage to display Christian iconography in December in Latin America. That's like saying it takes courage to wave the Stars and Stripes in the U.S. in a July 4 parade. You can approve (or disapprove for that matter), but courage has nothing to do with it.

- L.F.

loleta Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > THANK YOU, KCSdeM, for your courage!
>
> It doesn't take courage to display Christian
> iconography in December in Latin America. That's
> like saying it takes courage to wave the Stars and
> Stripes in the U.S. in a July 4 parade. You can
> approve (or disapprove for that matter), but
> courage has nothing to do with it.
>
> - L.F.

Amen to that. Thankfully we have freedom of religion, but we also have freedom from religion.

masterphots Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amen to that. Thankfully we have freedom of
> religion, but we also have freedom from religion.

Are you referring to Chile? ;)

loleta Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It doesn't take courage to display Christian
> iconography in December in Latin America. That's
> like saying it takes courage to wave the Stars and
> Stripes in the U.S. in a July 4 parade. You can
> approve (or disapprove for that matter), but
> courage has nothing to do with it.

A point I was making was that, thus far, the handful of Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, atheists, etc. in Mexico have yet to spring full-fledged political correctness into action --- and that's why a train with a nativity scene can still make the rounds.

Unlike here in the USA.

Let's see if that's still the case a decade or so from now.

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> masterphots Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Amen to that. Thankfully we have freedom of
> > religion, but we also have freedom from
> religion.
>
> Are you referring to Chile? ;)


Both Chile and the USA but I was referring to my country, the USA.

It's sad how those who prattle on and on about the US being "free" to practice religion seem to be the most intolerant of other "non-christian" faiths...