New Humanist ad campaign targets Ron DeSantis' "War on Christmas"

The American Humanist Association is raising money to help Florida families in need, something Gov. DeSantis has refused to do on multiple occasions

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The War on Christmas is officially underway, and this year, one group is going on the offensive against a grinch who has done more than most to ruin everyone’s holidays.

The American Humanist Association has just launched an ad campaign directly going after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for rejecting federal funding that could help low-income families buy groceries, kicking children off of their health insurance, and refusing federal hurricane funding due to his denial of climate change.

Their website explaining all this in detail? RonsWarOnChristmas.com.

They’re also taking donations, 100% of which (after credit card fees) will go toward toys, books, and other essentials to help families that need them. Because that’s what decent people do this time of year.

We’re the American Humanist Association. We represent the millions of Americans who believe in doing good, without God.

And we don’t care what holiday people celebrate. What we do care about are humanist values: Taking care of those in need. Treating people fairly. Recognizing the dignity of every person.

For years, the right-wing media has accused us of being offended by people celebrating Christmas. That’s absurd. We believe in people’s right to worship however they want, or not at all. Many of us celebrate Christmas, too! And we want to help people celebrate all year round by providing the gift of community and generosity.

All of the money donated will go to AHA chapters in Florida, which will distribute the funds to local shelters, youth-focused charities, and other non-profits. And unlike many Christian non-profits, there will be no proselytizing or conversion efforts associated with these gifts.

The whole campaign stands in stark contrast to some of the advertising campaigns groups like American Atheists launched over a decade ago (under old leadership). Those efforts were mainly aimed at generating media attention by mocking Christian beliefs or reminding closeted atheists that they weren’t alone.

Those billboards were great for media attention, sure, but they weren’t intended to help the less fortunate. The AHA’s campaign, on the other hand, offers a sharp contrast with the cruelty of DeSantis.

The AHA’s Executive Director Fish Stark told me the campaign will involve running digital ads as well as full-page ads in the Tallahassee Democrat (DeSantis’ local paper). Will the governor take the bait? Will journalists cover the pushback? We’ll find out soon. Odds are he won’t miss it.

At a time when Christian Nationalists have power across the country, it’s important to remind anyone willing to listen that Humanists are more concerned with helping others than scoring cheap points over the holidays. Politicians are supposed to be on the same side of that fight. But that’s not the case in Florida due to Republican control, and it won’t be the case from the White House in two months after the next Donald Trump administration takes power.

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