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Huntington almost lost Christmas tree-lighting
Long Island Newsday ^ | 12/10/05 | CARA TABACHNICK AND CYNTHIA DANIELS

Posted on 12/10/2005 6:20:08 AM PST by mslee

Huntington officials worked all night readying staff for the coming snow, but instead they woke up to a different storm Friday: a local lawyer sued to remove a nativity scene from the town's public lawn and stop Friday's Christmas tree-lighting ceremony. Mitchell Pashkin, 39, an attorney from Huntington, filed his suit in U.S. District Court in Central Islip, saying the nativity scene, Christmas tree and two signs on the Village Green that read "Peace on Earth" violated his constitutional rights because of their religious overtones. The display -- at the corner of Park Avenue and Route 25A -- included a menorah, which Pashkin wrote was "dwarfed in significance and stature" and "appears as nothing more than a token attempt to be inclusive to the Jewish population." Judge Leonard Wexler helped broker a compromise between Pashkin and the town Friday afternoon that allowed the tree ceremony to take place, Huntington Supervisor Frank Petrone said. The deal calls for the town to put up large signs stating the nativity scene was donated by Huntington's Knights of Columbus and that the menorah came from the Chabad-Lubavitch in Melville, Petrone said. The signs are expected to be up Saturday and also must say that the nativity scene and the menorah are not town property. The town board has scheduled a vote to approve the settlement Tuesday, officials said. Also, Wexler has scheduled a hearing at 6 p.m. on the same day in case the board does not approve the deal. "I'm not anti-religion or against Christmas. This is not an attack on Jesus or Christians," said Pashkin, who declined to disclose his faith, saying it has nothing to do with his position. "I just don't want the town endorsing one religion. Lots of people out there don't celebrate Christmas."

(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism
KEYWORDS: antichristmas; christmas; christmasdecorations
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1 posted on 12/10/2005 6:20:09 AM PST by mslee
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To: mslee
"I'm not anti-religion or against Christmas. This is not an attack on Jesus or Christians," Suuuure it isn't. **rollseyes**
2 posted on 12/10/2005 6:21:36 AM PST by mslee
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To: mslee
Sorry I don't mean to take away from this article but have any of you noticed that FOX news has no Christmas decoration on any of their set this year..If I am not mistaken they usually have a tree on FOX and Friends after Thanksgiving..Wonder whats up..Could it be because of the Muslim that bought part of FOX?

Now to the article.I think the people of this town had better stand up for their rights..We need to stop letting these atheist get away with what they are doing..Of course this person does not want to let anyone know what faith he is because he has none..
3 posted on 12/10/2005 6:30:40 AM PST by Beth528
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To: Beth528

Another sign that FNC is just another part of the MSM. I first noticed it when they did not use the word "Muslim" when discussing the riots in France.


4 posted on 12/10/2005 6:45:36 AM PST by Sociopathocracy (Real men know the significance of the following numbers: 383, 426 and 440.)
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To: mslee

Nativity scenes have always pissed off Jews. I'm thinking some of these Jewish lawyers are looking at CAIR and saying to themselves, if the Moslems can get pushy about refusing to assimilate into Christian society, so should we.

I don't know about Huntingdon, but any town with 'Islip' in its name is predominantly Italian & Catholic. You can't move there and not expect a nativity scene at Christmas.


5 posted on 12/10/2005 6:47:51 AM PST by japaneseghost (()
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To: mslee

"Lots of people out there don't celebrate Christmas."

BFD
The vast majority do.

STFU and Merry Christmas.


6 posted on 12/10/2005 7:05:39 AM PST by Adder (Can we bring back stoning again? Please?)
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To: mslee
said Pashkin, who declined to disclose his faith, saying it has nothing to do with his position.

500 quatloos sez he's a devout Sodomite.

7 posted on 12/10/2005 7:12:42 AM PST by Willie Green (Go Pat Go!!!)
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To: mslee

I did a google search and his law firm is listed under his name.


8 posted on 12/10/2005 7:24:01 AM PST by moonman
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To: moonman

I'm Secretary of the Department of Knock That Sh*t Off and I order you to knock that sh*t off! Dittos from the Department of Enough Already!


9 posted on 12/10/2005 7:42:46 AM PST by szweig
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To: szweig

Hey old timer. You joined same year I did. I was just a 'lurker' the month you joined. LOL


10 posted on 12/10/2005 7:45:48 AM PST by moonman
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To: mslee
Poll from the website:

Poll: What is Xmas?

What does Christmas mean to you?

24.9% Birth of Jesus (2277 responses)

1.0% Day off from work (95 responses)

33.2% Sales and shopping (3039 responses)

40.8% Time to spend with family and friends (3733 responses)

I live on Long Island....What used to be red country has turned deep blue....only 25% see Christmas as a celebration of Jesus's birth...how sad....how telling....
11 posted on 12/10/2005 7:50:50 AM PST by PigRigger (Send donations to http://www.AdoptAPlatoon.org)
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To: moonman

Hey oldtimer. You joined the same month I joined. There are still a few of us who have hung on through the flame wars, eh?


12 posted on 12/10/2005 7:55:54 AM PST by WVNan
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To: japaneseghost
For some reason some Jewish folks on LI-Queens have decided to get ugly with this non-issue this year. The good news is that there has been immediate push-back.

In Queens one Jewish employee objected loudly to the annual display of a tree in NYC DEP offices. The tree was removed but was back up within 48 hours after the overwhelming fifgt-back.

In Nassau County the Jewish supivisor of the Town of North Hempstead was forced to aoplogize in the media for denigrating the Manhasset annual Christmas display. He got the lid slammed hard on his d*** and was all over the TV with his mea culpas.

Now this guy in Huntington.

Jews and Catholics have always been cool on LI. Every town I've lived in here for fifty plus years has been mixed that way. Never have I seen this idiocy.

13 posted on 12/10/2005 8:08:15 AM PST by wtc911 (see my profile for how to contribute to a pentagon heroes fund)
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To: WVNan

for sure! glad we hung in here all these years. there has been a lot of great Americans who have come aboard. I do miss the Clinton days though. we had a lot of fun here.


14 posted on 12/10/2005 8:23:29 AM PST by moonman
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To: mslee
...Pashkin, who declined to disclose his faith

LOL!

15 posted on 12/10/2005 8:28:44 AM PST by FreeReign
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To: WVNan

WVNan? Wrong Huntington. ;)


16 posted on 12/10/2005 8:29:31 AM PST by FreeReign
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To: mslee
The deal calls for the town to put up large signs stating the nativity scene was donated by Huntington's Knights of Columbus and that the menorah came from the Chabad-Lubavitch in Melville, Petrone said. The signs are expected to be up Saturday and also must say that the nativity scene and the menorah are not town property.

Actually, not a bad deal.

17 posted on 12/10/2005 8:31:04 AM PST by FreeReign
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To: Beth528
FOX news has no Christmas decoration on any of their set this year … Could it be because of the Muslim that bought part of FOX?

I noticed that too! and came to the same conclusion after reading that posting about Prince @$$head bin-Camelfart the Stockholder.

18 posted on 12/10/2005 8:34:09 AM PST by solitas (So what if I support an OS that has fewer flaws than yours? 'Mystic' dual 500 G4's, OSX.4.2)
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To: mslee; All
~ Merry Jesus Christmas ~

...the reason for the season!

19 posted on 12/10/2005 9:43:01 AM PST by Terri ( terri dead but not forgotten)
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To: solitas

Well I wrote to FOX & Friends and ask why..not the weekend crew But ED and the Guys..I doubt I will get an answer though..A friend I wrote to about this said they sent it to O'Reiley..


20 posted on 12/10/2005 3:11:03 PM PST by Beth528
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