CONSIDER THIS

I do not believe I am a biased person.  May I also add, I do not oppose the issuance of the stamps I mention on this page.  I merely offer the following comparisons and comments for you to consider.  Decide for yourself whether or not the United States Postal Service is acting in a biased and/or discriminatory manner.

Christmas is a religious, as well as, national holiday.  It is, however, the only national holiday the USPS recognizes every year with new stamps including one which they admit depicts a specific religious reference.   Not July 4th (our nation's birthday), not Veteran's Day, not Memorial Day, nor Labor Day are recognized in this manner.

The Chinese New Year is not a national holiday.  However, every year  the United States Postal Service issues a new Chinese (Lunar, as it is now called) New Year stamp. 

There is a Black Heritage stamp issued every year for Black Heritage Month.  Each year a different black person is honored on the stamp.  Other ethnic groups celebrate their heritage other months (Hispanics, September 15th to October 15th and American Jews, May) of the year but no stamp is issued each year recognizing their heritage.  There are other examples of this bias and discrimination but I want to limit the space.

The United States Postal Service gives all sorts of explanations as to why they (can) do this and why (to them) it is not bias or discrimination.  For me, logic says otherwise.  As for Hanukkah stamps, the USPS now simply says "We believe postal customers are well served by the current program of reprinting the (Hanukkah) stamps when prices are adjusted."  However, the Hanukkah stamps don't seem to get full distribution when reprinted. Or in 2009 even when it was a new design.  So you go into a post office and they tell you they don't have the Hanukkah stamps or didn't get any.

The simple fact is the United States Postal Service can issue virtually any stamp it wishes.  The USPS says it relies on the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee to select the stamp subjects from all those submitted for consideration.  However, if the USPS tells the CSAC that they want a specific stamp subject the CSAC will include it, or the USPS can issue it anyhow.  If the USPS wanted to issue a new Hanukkah stamp every year they could.  All the Postmaster General has to do is tell the CSAC to include a new Hanukkah stamp in the Annual Stamp Program every year.  That is what  Postmaster General Marvin Runyon did for the ("Madonna & Child") Christmas stamp in November of 1994 when the United States Postal Service announced it was discontinuing the issuance of  ("Madonna & Child") Christmas stamps "So as to avoid any 'specific religious reference',"  Less than a week later "Bowing to public pressure" the PMG told the CSAC to continue to include the "Madonna & Child" stamp in its Annual Stamp Program.  The USPS could tell the CSAC  to include a new Hanukkah stamp in the Annual Stamp Program every year.

As for being well served, the only postal customers being well served are those who celebrate Christmas and can purchase a new, religiously themed, Christmas stamp virtually every year.  The Postmaster General has the authority and power to correct this. However, he continues to find excuses for not do so.

                                                                                         February 19, 2010