Posted on 12/11/2006 11:32:10 AM PST by Aggie Dad
SEATAC, Wash. - The official Christmas trees are still down at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, but a few little trees have popped up at airline counters.
An employee at Frontier Airlines took up a collection on Monday and bought a few foot-tall trees for the counter.
The initiative followed a decision by airport officials to remove its nine Christmas trees instead of adding a giant Jewish menorah to the holiday display as a rabbi had requested.
Maintenance workers boxed up the trees during the graveyard shift early Saturday, when airport bosses believed few people would notice.
“We decided to take the trees down because we didn’t want to be exclusive,” said airport spokeswoman Terri-Ann Betancourt. “We’re trying to be thoughtful and respectful, and will review policies after the first of the year.”
Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky, who made his request weeks ago, said he was appalled by the decision. He had hired a lawyer and threatened to sue if the Port of Seattle didn’t add the menorah next to the trees, which had been festooned with red ribbons and bows.
“Everyone should have their spirit of the holiday. For many people the trees are the spirit of the holidays, and adding a menorah adds light to the season,” said Bogomilsky, who works in Seattle at the regional headquarters for Chabad Lubavitch, a Jewish education foundation.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Christmas Trees are really even a religious symbol.
are not
Except that no one was threatening to sue them.
I don't think anyone has any problem with adding a menorah or two.
I think the Seattle airport Admin. has simply gone PC nuts,
as might be expected of public officials.
Having BOTH a tree and a menorah indicates TOLERANCE.
Having NEITHER because of some unfounded fears it might offend someone, indicates INTOLERANCE (in fact, it leaves
the place with nothing to 'tolerate').
So Seattle airport is therefore very 'intolernant' of
diversity in American life. . .
Most Christians would say that they represent the cross. On the other hand, we've got symbols to represent symbols.
I don't blame the airport, I blame this dude. He couldn't have his, so now nobody can have theirs.....bet he's great at parties.
BUT THIS ONE TAKES THE CAKE!!! (hoping not to offend the cake community)
Well, Christmas is a NATIONAL HOLIDAY. Let's go ahead and make everyone free to work on December 25th so we can be FAIR!
The airport was so beautifully decorated too. We flew out of there on the Sunday after Thanksgiving and were so impressed with the way they had done it, too bad it's all gone now.
another miserable human being who has to ruin everyone else's GOOD CHEER.
I don't know a single Christian who believes the Christmas tree has anything to do with the cross. It's a pagan symbol of the hope of eternal life which was co-opted and Christianized.
OTOH, a hannukiah (aka menorah) actually is a religious symbol. It seems the Rabbi was comparing apples to oranges and got himself (and Chabad, a wonderful Jewish organization) involved in an unnecessary brouhaha.
Enough already, leave Christmas alone!
Kind of like when Mayor Daley of Chicago had the city tear up the runways at Meigs Field at midnight to close the airport. I guess no one noticed that one either.
Unbelievable, absolutely UNBELIEVABLE!!
What a bunch of wimps.
Psssssstttt..."holidays" comes from "holy days." Shall we ban that too?
“We decided to take the trees down because we didn’t want to be exclusive,” said airport spokeswoman
Welcome to liberal PC Seattle, where even a tree is seen as a major threat to the multicultural socialist utopia.
They did the same thing at an elementary school here last year. One athiest parent complained about the "holiday tree" at the school so they were all removed and never to be displayed again.
Well you don't know many Christians, then. My pastor gave a sermon about this incident yesterday, and that's the first thing that came out of his mouth. And it's not the first time I've heard it.
Well, well. We get by with a little help from our friends.
I guess that they didn't even have the courage of their convictions.
THEY DID IT WHEN THEY BELIEVED FEW PEOPLE WOULD NOTICE??? SAY WHAT????
I guess that shows how strongly their believed in what they were doing. At least they have principle and backbone! /s
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