Posted on 12/11/2006 5:52:47 PM PST by Mr. Mulliner
Well here we go again. It is so utterly predictable. Like clockwork. It’s December and time for another skirmish in the annual battle against Christmas. What compels me to comment is that this time it's not the usual secular fanatic who's responsible for doing things that evict Christianity from the culture. No, on this sad and alarming occasion it's a deeply religious, well-intentioned rabbi who has unwittingly stumbled into a situation that will place his denomination (and mine) —Orthodox Judaism— in a terrible, negative light.
For at least ten years, Sea-Tac Airport near Seattle has displayed several large, beautifully decorated Christmas trees each December. With lawyer in tow, a local rabbi recently threatened to sue the Port of Seattle if the airport didn't add a Chanukah menorah to the holiday display.
Yielding to the ultimatum was not an option for airport management, skittish at the best of times since 9-11. Understandably, they interpreted the rabbi’s threat as only the first. It would not be hard to imagine Seattle’s Islamic community stepping forward with their own lawyer to demand a Moslem symbol be included as well.
With deft turn of phrase, Sea-Tac public affairs manager Terri-Ann Betancourt explained that at the busiest travel time of the year, while Sea-Tac was focused on getting passengers through the airport, she and her staff didn’t have time “to play cultural anthropologists.”
Threatening a lawsuit, I feel, violates the Jewish principle known in Hebrew as Kiddush HaShem, interpreted in the Talmud, part of ancient Jewish wisdom, as an action that encourages people to admire Jews. One need only read the comments on the Internet following the news accounts of the tree removal, to know that most people are feeling indignant and hurt. They certainly are not feeling more warmly toward Jews as a result of this mess.
Here I disclose that I know the rabbi involved, am friendly with him, and am sure that he didn’t intend this outcome. I like him, which makes it painful for me to point out that when one throws a punch (which is what bringing a lawyer and threatening to sue is equivalent to) and one gets decked in return, one cannot plead that one didn’t intend that outcome.
The outcome, whether intended or not, is that now vast numbers of passengers, most of whom are probably Christian, will be deprived of the cheerful holiday sight of pretty Christmas trees. What is more, they will know that their deprivation was caused by a Jewish rabbi. The rabbi’s lawyer told a television reporter, “There is a concern here that the Jewish community will be portrayed as the Grinch.”
No, Mr. Lawyer, it is not that Jews will be “portrayed” as the grinch. Sadly, now we are the grinch. You made us the grinch.
Now what is to be done? I have three requests:
I am asking every reader of this column to sign a petition on the Toward Tradition website beseeching Sea-Tac management to restore the Christmas trees.
I am asking every reader of this column to forward it to others who might be willing to sign this petition.
I am asking Jews in the Puget Sound region to join national radio host, Michael Medved, and me in offering our volunteer labor to Sea-Tac. We hope they will allow us to provide the labor necessary for replacing the trees so that airport staff need not be deflected from their important duties.
Did your folks teach you to sue if you didn't get your way? I don't blame the rabbi for wanting the menorah displayed and for attempting to convince the Sea-Tec officials that displaying it would be a good idea; I blame him for the way he went about it -- the lawsuit.
Well intended Rabbi? Sorry, I'm not buying that one.
The guy was an idiot. Now it's backfired and he's being blamed for Christian icons being removed, as well he should be.
There would have been no lawsuit. The Sea-Tac folks panicked, pure and simple.
In the same sense that this
Hanukkah Menorahs Light Path for Nativity Displays-Christian Activists Cite Campaign as Precedent
is a public relations setback.
Same organization.
Same issue.
Not multiple threads, not a thousand plus posts.
One thread, ten posts, five when you exclude mine.
Fine. How far do you think I'll get in demanding the right to display a spatula next to every menorah in Israel? And if you don't let me, take your utensils down.
I think the *Religious Right* has much more intelligence and awareness than you give them credit for. They are more than capable of distinguishing between the actions of one out of mainstream individual and the group as a whole.
:>)
Could you diagram the anti Christian sentiment in SJackson's post?
I hope a lot of the barely closeted Jew-haters who came out earlier today will start to chill out after Lapin's article. Yes the Rabbi's lawyer was dumb to threaten litigation. BUT it has been done before and typically a menorah is simply added. This is the first time an entity removed one symbol to exclude everything. MORE religion is what the Framers had in mind, not less, not none.
What, that's what your post insinuated.
Why are you getting so touchy-feely about it?
Pr 31:30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
Pr 31:31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
Some honorable and noble women hanging around Free Republic. 
As you know, that's a function of the poster, not the posts.
Though the invitation to expose my blatent anti-Christianity is open.
I would agree with that, but it seems to me that Jewish groups jumped into the frey without being asked. I think they were just as ready as anyone else to recognize what this guy had done. It was a mistake and I'm sure he's rather sorry he opened his yap in the first place.
If I saw a Jewish holiday display it wouldn't dawn on me to complain. I'd think it was nice and move on. Frankly, that's all I ask when other groups run across a Christian display.
Why? Ramadan is long over. And so what? Why is the first instinct of government entities to censor religious speech? Why isn't their instinct to welcome it, as much as the people they represent want it?
I'm sure it seemed an intelligent response when it was composed. Must have lost something on its journey.
And by the way, this is not Israel, or England, or Brazil or anywhere else.
This has nothing to do with any foreign country.
This is where an American citizen believes he has the same right as others to celebrate his holiday in the American public square.
Glad he was on. I heard him on Medved and John Gibson and thought he explained the situation well. If you're interested,
Hanukkah Menorahs Light Path for Nativity Displays-Christian Activists Cite Campaign as Precedent
Taking about 15 steps back, the whole argument is ridiculous. People ought to be able to set up any displays they want if they run the joint, whether it's nativity scenes, voodoo scenes, Buddhist scenes, or certainly the menorah.
People who don't like it should be able to complain, but not sue. I'm quite weary of the concept that we must all capitulate if a couple of people are offended about something.
I'll bet if this Rabbi asked to put up a menorah that he donated, none of this would ever have happened.
He did a dumb thing by bringing is his lawyer. He realizes that now and he deeply regrets it. The bad guys here are the media for misreporting the situation, and the Sea-Tac officials for pushing the panic button.
Unfortunately, you're right - for now.
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