Posted on 12/11/2006 10:13:29 PM PST by TheBigB
SEATAC, Wash. — The Christmas trees are going back up at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Port of Seattle officials had ordered the trees taken down over the weekend after a local rabbi threatened a lawsuit if a menorah wasn't also displayed at the airport.
Airport officials say they took that action out of concern that if they allowed the addition of a menorah, they would also have to display symbols of other religions and cultures, which was not something airport workers had time for during the busiest travel season of the year.
Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky says he never asked that the trees be taken down, and the threat of a lawsuit was withdrawn.
With the threat of the lawsuit gone, airport spokesman Bob Parker says all 14 trees will go back up -- hopefully by tomorrow morning.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Just read that.
Good.
ping
Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah, all!
I suppose demands for Kwanzaa recognition will soon follow.
The disingenuous of this rabbi is nauseating, and for some reason a lot of the local talk show hosts are taking him at his word. He tried to bully the airport with the threat of litigation, and now he whines that this isn't what he wanted. What a jerk.
Sea-Tac always called them "Holiday Trees"
The media pushed the "Christmas Tree" issue.
It was NEVER about "Christmas Trees" until the media, and the Rabbi got involved.
Saw him on O'Reilly, tonight. Mr. O was sooooo impressed! The good Rabbi made a mess and is now trying to weasle his way out of it. Playing the innocent act was silly.
I'm going to go to Israel and complain that I've been offended by the display of menorah and the star of David.
And who do they get support from? Yet they continue (American Jews) to vote in power people that hate them, there is no understanding these people, very exasperating.
Hopefully the rabbi will buy them a display menorah to go up too!
Oy.
I don't know; I read an article at Townhall (I think) where the columnist got a chance to interview the guy...it sounds to me like he made a mistake by threatening to sue, and admitted as much. Said he made the comment he was just trying to get leverage...almost like spitting it out in the heat of a moment, and once it was out, the lawyers all the way up freaked out.
If only our last election could be undone as easily.
"Hey! I never meant to actually put the Dems in charge!"
-
The Dems aren't in charge.
George W Bush is in charge. The Senate is split. Democrats have the House. And the next Presidential campaign is already starting.
Dems won't act like the communists they want to be - so not much will happen. Bush might even veto some stuff.
Then Chuck Norris will straighten them out.
If there are no "Christmas" trees then there can be no Menorah.
They can have "Holiday Candelabra" but that's as far as it goes...
That's pretty cool. I guess that rabbi who threatened to sue took more flak than he was prepared for. But maybe now, after seeing all the hubub, the scumbag athiests over at the Democrat ACLU will jump in - - they have absolutely no shame and would love the publicity.
Wil, I'd like to have trees, candles, singing, gifts and smiling faces.
I don't want lawsuits and the hate that comes with them.
I don't want lawyers and the ACLU.
I want Peace On Earth, but, I guess that is nigh on to impossible, these days.
I live in the area. When this story broke it was reported as "a religious leader". Everyone I came into contact with around my small town was disgusted, and assumed this leader to be some Islamic blowhard. I know I was shocked to hear it was a Rabbi.
The line has been drawn over this Christmas business. Once the trees came down
he began to see who else he was being lumped with. No wonder he started to change his story.
Sadly even many here on FR are falling for it. Lawyering up is not asking?
BREAKING NEWS
Monday, December 11, 2006 8:07 PMThe Christmas Trees are returning to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Port of Seattle officials said they decided tonight to put the trees back up after Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky and his Central Organization for Jewish Education Lubavitch said they would not file a threatened lawsuit.
For more, see http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003473083_webtrees11.html
SeaTac trees return ping!
From later in the article:
Last year, a Catholic lawmaker from Spokane and his supporters stirred up a hornets' nest when they sang Christmas carols in front of the giant holiday tree that dominates the Capitol rotunda in Olympia. Rep. John Ahern, a Republican, said the Washington-grown fir is a holiday tree, not a Christmas tree.
What's up with that? Why would singing carols generate controversy?
That's cute!
Related threads:
Christmas Trees Back on Some Airline Counters at Seattle Airport(Take That!)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1752048/posts
Jews Strive to Restore Sea-Tac Airport's Christmas Trees
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1752025/posts
Airport removes Christmas trees to avoid suit
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1751814/posts
Did A Lone Rabbi Mean to Ban Christmas Trees?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1751706/posts
Airport's trees stoking "war on Christmas". (SEATAC Update)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1751685/posts
ping
aaaarrrrrrrrrrgggghhhhhhhh
Wash. Airline Workers Defy Tree Ban (SEA-TAC SAGA UPDATE)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1752111/posts
Xmas trees removed from Sea-Tac Airport [Scrooge barf alert]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1751183/posts
And subtle!
Absolutely ridiculous to have taken the down to start with.
Now that the trees are back up, he can get on with his lawsuit.
Well, there's a nice way to ask for something, and a not-so-nice way.
My neighbor might say "Hey, your grass is getting a little up there, maybe this weekend we can both cut our lawns and then have a brew after."
Or he could say "Cut your grass this weekend or I'm comin over there with a 2by4"
Let each group (Jews, Athiests, Pagans, etc.) be allowed to hang one ornament on the trees.
The Peanuts Gang, specifically Linus, to public:
Luke 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
Luke 2:9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
Luke 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Count me as one who agreed with removing the trees. It called the bluff on this rabid rabbi. The incident went nationwide, and the country let him know he made a BIG mistake. He was "devastated" that his threat of a lawsuit backfired on him. As the old expression goes, he was forced to "eat crow". Good. I hope it made him sick.
He knew perfectly well. The group he is part of, the Lubavitchers, goes around suing different places to put up menorahs every year, and they usually win. I doubt he paid for that lawyer himself.
So they took all the trees down and are putting them back up again? They found time for all that?
Reckon Kosher Krow is any better?
Then his claim of in the heat of the argument he included the threat of a lawsuit is a lie? It's bad enough when the average Joe lies. But people of faith? C'mon! Any wonder religion gets a black eye.
He was on O'Reilly last night saying he
1. didn't demand the trees be taken down.
2. His group offered to provided the Menorah for the airport
3. and the issue was overblown by the media
The Grinch is the airport authority that knee jerked to avoid controversy, thus causing controversy.
Any suit would have demanded installation of Jewish symbols, not the removal of trees.
I am appalled that the airport gets a free pass for their cowardice.
Well I have been following this flap and have been amused.
Jews have been treated better in the USA than anywhere else on this planet. This is mostly because Americans simply have no prejudice or preconceived notions about Jews save for yer oddball here and there.
We're not like Europe or God forbid the Mideast is what I'm saying here.
You can take this to the bank. Jews understand the value of PR and this little episode was bad PR from the start for American Jewry.
I don't know what the hell the guy was thinking who filed this suit but I do know that American Jews across the country fought to shut him the hell up.
Hey, they got us distrusting and disliking Muslims and most Americans support Israel. It'd be a darn shame if a stupid thing like this turned the tide against that good will and kinship.
The Jews already got the entire planet against them so why on earth disaffect the mightiest and greatest planet on the earth, darn near their ONLY friends?
Give them credit, American Jews fought back. As I understand it, a group of Jews even volunteered to put them all back up!
Muslims live, die and breathe by propaganda and lies. Jews understand this. Americans need to get a clue.
REIS, MARK
SEATTLE, WA 98117
PORT OF SEATTLE
MURRAY, PATTY
VIA PEOPLE FOR PATTY MURRAY U S SENATE CAMPAIGN
10/18/2004 250.00 24021130229
REIS, MARK M
SEATTLE, WA 98117
PORT OF SEATTLE/AIRPORT DIRECTOR
CANTWELL, MARIA
VIA CANTWELL 2012
03/24/2006 250.00 26020382874
DICKS, NORM D
VIA NORM DICKS FOR CONGRESS
10/06/2004 200.00 24962620919
Figgers.
It hasn't been that way for too long. You only need to go back a couple of generations to find great amounts of prejudice directed at Jews. Fortunately, things have changed, despite this orthodox rabbi's little campaign.
What's disgusting to me is that they're using plastic trees in a place that grows great real trees! It's just so---un-Washington!
are there just more stupid people up ther in seattle tacoma?
I could certainly be wrong...I just read the interview and thought "yeah...that could happen..."
But if others say he is being duplicitous, well I don't know enough about that to know. I read that account from a conservative columnist who I like (I think it was Townhall, but cannot find it again)
Well, dang. How 'bout that.
They go around putting up menorahs, they do not go around suing people. Sometimes they have been sued by the ACLU for putting up the menorah.
Please get your facts straight, I am a member of this organization and two of my sons are very active in the menorah campaign, in Moscow and San Francisco.
Rabbi Bogulmilsky has admitted his mistake and the trees are back in place at Sea-Tac.
I thought one of the main principles of the Christian faith was forgiveness, especially towards someone who is contrite. But maybe I am wrong.
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