salem-va-letter Posted on 11/21/2015 8:44:49 PM PST by UMCRevMom@aol.com
In an e-mail to employees, Department of Veterans Affairs supervisors at the Salem, Virginia, center has banned employees from any religious expression in pubic areas.
"Employees are permitted to engage in private religious expression in their personal work areas that are not regularly open to the public," the message to employees reads, noting that Christmas music was banned as well. "If an employee's supervisor has previously granted them permission to listen to music in their personal work area, they should be reminded that music travels and should be secular (non-religious) and appropriate to the work environment."
salem-va-letter
At first, they tried to ban the display of Christmas Trees, but after an angry meeting between VA supervisors and about 150 employees, they backed down and said Christmas trees would be allowed. Here’s how WSLS reports it:
A letter from the Salem VA Medical Center to all employees stating Christmas trees will not be allowed in public areas this holiday season ignites a debate. But, after a heated meeting Friday afternoon — management is going todec k the halls and light the tree after all.
Christmas trees have always been a part of Christmas at the Salem VA Medical Center.
For veteran Vicki Jackson, the tree symbolizes overcoming a hard time in her life.
"It brought me over a big hump, because Christmas is hard for me, it's real hard for something that happened years ago," said Jackson. "And, to see that tree gone it's not Christmas."
It's not just Jackson; it's a message that provoked Salem VAMC employees, veterans and others in the community.
And, after a closed meeting between management and up to 150 staff members; now, a tree will stand tall this holiday season at the Salem VAMC.
"It was very tense in there with the director and amongst the employees," said Jackson. "I wasn't supposed to be there, but I went anyhow."
In a statement the Salem VAMC public affairs officer said, "it was determined that Christmas trees could be displayed in public areas so long as they were accompanied by the respective symbols of the two other faiths that celebrate holidays during this holiday season – namely symbols commemorating Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.
The decision comes after a letter from the Salem VAMC to employees which read, "trees have been deemed to promote the Christian religion and will not be permitted in any public areas this year."
"I don’t look at the tree as the birth of Christ, I don’t," said Jackson. "I look at is as a tree being decorated with ornaments."
Of course, as Breitbart points out, Christmas is not only an official federal holiday, but Christmas Trees grace the White House front lawn and the Capitol Lawn.
In 1989, the Supreme Court ruled that Christmas Trees were not a violation of the "endorsement test."
"The Christmas tree, unlike the menorah, is not itself a religious symbol. Although Christmas trees once carried religious connotations, today they typify the secular celebration of Christmas," wrote Justice Harry Blackmun, upholding the government's displaying a 40-foot Christmas tree on public land outside a courthouse.
"Numerous Americans place Christmas trees in their homes without subscribing to Christian religious beliefs, and when the city's tree stands along in front of the City-County building, it is not considered an endorsement of Christian faith," he added.
But when was the last time the Obama Administration gave a damn what the courts said anyway?
-US Constitution
Sing it in spite of him. Play Christmas Carols 24x7.
I banned saying “Obama” in my house.
Only state-approved religions like global warming and gender-derangement worship are allowed.
V A ping.
More of the DemocRATS’ “multicultural” bull****. Some ahole might be offended.
yep to you and to post number 1.
If other religions get to put up REAL religious displays, then shouldn’t the nativity be shown?
I wonder when Christians will be meeting in secret places by?
I’ve got two words for him, and they aren’t “Merry Christmas”
has banned employees from any religious expression in pubic areas.
Peculiar
At my work, (state government office) they are having an “End of Year Party.” I’m electing not to attend, and when they ask me why I am not, I will tell them I attend Christmas parties, not “End of Year Parties.” The very notion is nonsense.
Donald Trump will straighten out that BS and reinstate the trees.
I’m Jewish but let me say, in, advance to all my Christian FRiends, “Merry Christmas”.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot.
FUBO!
USA elected an agent of Satan Moslem illegal alien infiltrator
and
‘elections have consequences’
(one of the very very few truthful things he ever said)
this STINKS to High Heaven, so to speak!
THANK GOD we (apparently) still have a chance to flush this out and reclaim our government....
I will be happy to have just about any loyal American in the office....anyone who hasn’t sold out to the IslamoNazis
You can't create a fake non-secular Christmas holiday - that's establishing a state religion, forbidden by the constitution.
Then again, the 5 of the 9 in black robes created their own religion by establishing their root religious ceremony that of Any Marriage. (though technically, it's sorta limited to just two people, but the arguments to establish this religion leave it open to interpretation if even the two have to be human and certainly open to interpretation to mean more than two.)
These are actions that the constitution absolutely and explicitly forbids. You don't get to make a state religion.
There's also no constitutional right to be free from religion. Don't like it? TOUGH. You don't get to choose what others can say, and again, the constitution is explicit in telling the government to butt out of the realm of freedom of speech.
Here you have a government official not only forbidding open practice of religion, but worse, explicitly limiting their speech under the guise of saying that their speech is government speech.
GOVERNMENT IS NOT AN ENTITY. You are not a person. You do not get ANY form of speech. Your speech can not be protected nor limited AS YOU CAN'T TALK. You're not even a fictional person such as a company - you don't even have THAT much right.
So there, yet another useless rant because honestly, if they can forbid the free carry of concealed weapons in the SCOTUS, there is no limit to the new and creative ways they'll have of denying our rights as granted by the creator.
Once again this Assclown’s kufee is showing!
Who needs him to say it. The words are too good for him.
Happy Roshashanah, Friend!
The headline: Obama Bans Saying Merry Christmas At VA Center
First line of story: The Obama Administration has banned saying Merry Christmas at at least one VA center.
Later in the story: In an e-mail to employees, Department of Veterans Affairs supervisors at the Salem, Virginia, center has banned employees...
Sorry, the headline is misleading
A effort to eliminate the celebration of Christmas is preparing a society for the absolute government control over their lives. We know what happened in the Soviet Union. Anyone who thinks we can make Communism better is whistling in the dark. And it won’t be of goodwill and love.
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