Our society is working harder and harder to keep us from being offended. Bradbury dealt with this topic. Science fiction is rapidly becoming science fact.
Posted on 12/15/2004 6:11:51 AM PST by NYer
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- A Christmas tree that decorated the lobby in new federal courthouse downtown has been removed.
Late last week the Government Services Administration, the agency that maintains the building, acted on direction from the Chief Judge to pull the tree. A lighted snowman, reindeer and sleigh has replaced the tree.
A spokesperson for the GSA could not give specifics on why the tree was taken down. Gary Mote who handles Public Affairs from the Southeast Sunbelt Region says the decision was to "...make sure no one is offended."
The artificial tree that was decorated with non religious ornaments has been placed in storage.
That's why the GSA switched to artificial trees...they have a whole bunch of rules about these trees for fire hazard...clearance, materials, etc. The Fed building in Ogden used to be allowed to have live trees, but this year, the GSA drew an absolute line. Artificials only.
Reading fast and furious! Saw the town, but didn't look at the first name...Although on the website home page, they have a different chief justice - perhaps the Tampa justice is the justice for the entire 3 divisions of the district court?
Outsiders looking in, you know, don't always catch the fine points...
The a$$hat doesn't realize he offended a lot of Christians.
Oh wait, those don't count.
Are there air bags in the sleigh? What about brakes? This is a death mobile. Call Ralph Nader!
Ping
I have noticed the same thing. Are we seeing an old traditional grassroots movement expanding?
In the past people in this conservative area would say "I hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas" before Christmas. Then on Christmas Day "Merry Christmas" would be heard.
This year I hear " Merry CHRISTmas ". People seem to be very deliberate in how it pronounced.
This morning United States Senator Jim Talent ( R - Missouri ) was on local talk radio live. As he and the host David Vincent Jericho were ending their conversation Senator Talent was very deliberate when he said "Merry Christmas".
Could it be that many people across the country are making a special point in their holiday greetings?
Thanks to FR and many others I think this is happening.
[Makes sense, IF she was the one that said pull the tree.]
January 21, 1998 -- U.S. Judge Issues Split Decision on Bible Class
The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and People for the American Way against the Lee County School Board, which voted last year to teach a two-semester Bible history class supported by the Christian Coalition.
The ACLU suit, filed on behalf of parents and other county residents, alleged that the course unconstitutionally used the Bible as a history book.
U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Kovachevich said in the 20-page ruling that the school board could implement the Old Testament-based Bible History I, scheduled to be unveiled in the southwestern Florida district's schools Wednesday.
But she issued a preliminary injunction against the use of Bible History II, based on the New Testament and due to begin in March.
Kovachevich said the school board had satisfied the court by adopting a curriculum for the first phase that was "ostensibly designed to teach history and not religion," thereby meeting the requirement that the course had a secular purpose.
But she issued an injunction against the New Testament phase, ruling that the court "finds it difficult to conceive how the account of the resurrection or of miracles could be taught as secular history."
Reuters said that both sides in the dispute claimed a measure of victory.
Howard Simon, Executive Director of the ACLU of Florida, said the decision should send a message to other U.S. school districts that were considering adopting the New Testament curriculum. He also said the ACLU would monitor and videotape the Old Testament classes.
"If we find that these so-called history classes remain disguised religion classes, or that they are not taught in an objective manner, or that they are an attempt to indoctrinate students with a particular religious point of view, then we will be back before Judge Kovachevich with the videotapes and other evidence," Simon said.
Kovachevich said she expected the ACLU to monitor and videotape the classes and return to her court if it was dissatisfied with the courses.
"The fact that the classes are monitored may prevent any veiled attempt to promote religion or Christianity in the guise of teaching history," she wrote.
The Lee County School Board voted 3-2 on Oct. 21 to adopt the North Carolina-based National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools program, which is supported by the Christian Coalition.
Source: Reuters, January 21, 1998
Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) - http://www.alliancedefensefund.org
Thomas More Law Center (TMLC) - http://www.thomasmore.org
American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) - http://www.aclj.org
The Rutherford Institute - http://www.rutherford.org/
Stop the ACLU Coalition - http://www.stoptheaclu.org
Here are a few examples of how two of those organizations are fighting back:
ADF Contacts Over 3,600 School Districts Over Attempts To Censor Christmas
ADF: 700 lawyers ready to fight ACLU lawsuits
ADF: Pentagons' Warning About Boyscouts Is Absurd
Thomas More Law Center: Town of Palm Beach Pays $50,000 In Attorney Fees Apologizes To Women In Nativity Lawsuit
Additional information:
The ACLU must be destroyed: Joseph Farah supports Boy Scouts, urges Americans to fight back
Citizens mobilized to stop ACLU (seeks to consign group to 'ash heap of history')
ACLU fulfilling communist agenda
Revealing FACTS on the ACLU from its own writings
See how YOUR Senator or Representative ranks with the ACLU
Let me know if you would like to join my ACLU ping list
That is really, really interesting...I say, slam'em all...all their contact info is on the District court website!
Every Christian was/shouldbe offended!
For those stupid federal employees: the days off you get because of CHRISTMAS are hereby cancelled.
'Howard Simon, Executive Director of the ACLU of Florida, said the decision should send a message to other U.S. school districts that were considering adopting the New Testament curriculum. He also said the ACLU would monitor and videotape the Old Testament classes.
- "If we find that these so-called history classes remain disguised religion classes,
- or that they are not taught in an objective manner,
- or that they are an attempt to indoctrinate students with a particular religious point of view,
then we will be back before Judge Kovachevich with the videotapes and other evidence," Simon said.Kovachevich said she expected the ACLU to monitor and videotape the classes and return to her court if it was dissatisfied with the courses.' --
January 21, 1998 -- U.S. Judge Issues Split Decision on Bible Class
All hail, the Chief Judge of Political Correctness! Average is thy mediocrity and hypoallergenic thy tepidness!
The communist, Christ-hating, politicallly incorrect bureaucrats are behind this just as they're accommodating the Godless homosexual agenda for our nation.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS
LOL - May the games begin! :-)
Well said!
.45MAN - I believe this sums up very nicely the point you were trying to get across.
NYer - This is all so perverse. The ACLU says it stands for diversity while trampling upon the rights of a majority of the population. Such blatant stupidity.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.