Posted on 12/09/2006 10:56:18 PM PST by Coleus
There will be no more Christmas trees at Sea-Tac Airport this season after the Port of Seattle received at least one complaint about them. For more than 25 years, the airport has celebrated the holidays with Christmas trees over its entrances. But overnight, the Port of Seattle ordered all 15 trees removed.
"I think it's very unfortunate. Why lose the Christmas spirit? Christmas is for kids," said passenger Lisa Jones. The Port allowed "holiday" decorations to remain but decided to take down all the Christmas trees after a Jewish religious leader complained they were offensive.
"It's a Christmas tree! It's not like they were displaying crucifixes or menorahs or anything religious, but Christmas trees that have been around here for years," said an employee who asked not to be identified.
The Port of Seattle says it had little choice. It says a Seattle rabbi with the Central Organization for Jewish Learning hired an attorney and threatened to sue if the airport did not erect an eight-foot menorah to balance the message of the Christmas trees.
According to airport spokeswoman the two sides could not reach an agreement before the lawsuit was to be filed, so the trees were removed instead. Angry airport employees have started a campaign urging people to call the Port of Seattle to complain. The Christmas trees are now in storage or hidden in unused areas of the airport where they won't be seen.
The airline companies, which lease space in the airport, are not being required to remove decorations from their check-in counters. Rachel Garson with the Port of Seattle said they would revisit the issue of Christmas trees after the holidays are over. "Since this is the busiest time of year we decided to take the decorations down now and consider a new policy after the new year." said Garson.
I'm with you on this ... Sea-Tac missed a great opportunity to aggravate musilms by outting up a menorah.
The Sea-Tac individual (manager?) making this decision should be out selling shoes at Payless by next week.
You're welcome. The situation with the airport is strange. The Rabbi demanded that he be allowed to set up a menorah and sued for that. But the airport administration ordered the trees removed. ...looks like a three-way clash of interests to me, but I'm not a lawyer. Are the trees not considered to be religious symbols? One of my neighbors emphasizes his Yule log ceremony as being his most cherished.
"presuming that you're probably a newbie there"
Well, not quite.. I was in and out of Slovakia since 2001.
I have now been living here for two years...If you look at my history, you will see that I was reporting on the President Bush visit last winter.
I now give private lessons in English conversation. There is a huge demand for native speakers.
I am in the center of Europe. If I want to visit the old Europe, Austria is within sight of my apartment, and Vienna is a short hop on train or bus.
Yes, there is no perfect country to live in, but I never hear PC crap here. I see my USA going to hell in a hand basket.... Nothing but queers and leftist liberal morons running rampant.
This group, the Lubavitchers, goes around everywhere suing to put up menorahs. I believe they lost in court a couple of times when the Christmas tree - which my Jewish friends in NY used to laughingly call their "Hanukkah bush" - was defined as a cultural tradition rather than a religious symbol and therefore was okay, whereas a menorah or a religious symbol such as a cross would not be.
On the other hand, sometimes they managed to displace Christmas trees altogether. In New York, they display a menorah - and snowflakes.
...my apology for mistaking what you were saying earlier. One thing's for sure. Our First Amendment is a great thing for us all. My first American ancestor (said he was a "Huguenot") also came here for reasons of religious freedom. Yeah, people argue over the details, but the fuss isn't nearly as bad as it was in old Europe.
****
A very sick and decaying country.
The ones making the country sick and causing the decay must be excised!
We musn't just point out their evil deeds, they must be removed.
I think anyone who does not like the Christmas trees should be made to work that day with regular pay. No overtime or holiday pay. If it's on a weekend, make them work anyway.
just one more reason not to go to SEA.
After I received a "parking" ticket while unloading my car at the airport; I swore I would NEVER go to SEA again.
"remove Christmas trees because of a complaint from some rabbi?"
what a bunch of pussies they have in WA!
Let the rabbi go to Iraq, Iran or Saudi Arabia and see how welcome he'd be there! LOL
How about this?
I think anyone who does not like the Christmas trees should be made to work at a Christmas tree nursery long enough for a five-inch stem cutting to turn into a nice eight footer.
I'd say a good seven years ought to do it.
:-)
I like your way of thinking. I'm getting ready to check the Sunday Talk show thread for a few mins. The < sarcasm> fair and balanced line-up < /heavy sarcasm> was posted in the local paper. I have to see what everyone thinks of the Insane Stupid Gramps and other talking heads.
Yes, heaven forbid that the unbalanced message of "peace on earth, goodwill to man" catch on.
1 complaint? My my! The power of the lone offended pussy!
I always thought Christmas was a season of giving and love as a way of celebrating God's gift of Jesus to mankind.
Well, that's better than saying it's for the kids.
Lets take something away from the pagans who hate Christmas. Lets take away the economic boom.
That's what it's all about today for most people that exploit Christmas to make money, that's why they came up with a fictional character like Santa Clause to take away the attention from where it should go and to sell more toys.
You make no sense...that's exactly what newzjunky said.
i disagree. a "christmas tree" is in actuality a teutonic pratice related to pagan winter solstice rites which was adopted and incorporated by the early christian church. if the rabbi wants top put up a menorah, i want a nativity scene.
When will Christmas become the equivilent of the N word?? While putting up the Christmas lights yesterday I jokingly said Merry Christmas! to a couple and he responded, Happy Holiday. My kid even noticed that nonsense.
Pray for W and Our Troops
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