Jews Strive to Restore Sea-Tac Airport's Christmas Trees

Toward Tradition ^ | December 11, 2006 | Rabbi Daniel Lapin

[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.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Look up the definition of "established church". One important characteristic of an established church is that it is supported by tax money. This is the level that lawyers have been using to cancel all religious symbols in the public sphere, that tax money and governmental resources may not be used in religion. SEA-TAC knew where this would go if they ever allowed it to go to court, and they didn't want to risk it. 136 posted on 12/11/2006 10:15:43 PM EST by SauronOfMordor

Yes, that is one of the sophistical arguments. But gee...which Church got the money? Methodist, Baptist, Congregationalist, Lutheran, Episcopalian, or Catholic?

[sageb1]

"The airport folks could have taken time to investigate instead of shooting from the hip."

And that is precisely what the spokesman said they didn't have time to do. He said they will be "looking into" the best way to do this for 2007. He also said that they are in an area which promotes secularism. He said that with a certain amount of pride.

[kdot]

I agree but with a small correction. Let's have a nativity scene and a menorah. A Christas tree isn't a Christian symbol.

[doug from upland]

The attorney is out of the bottle. Obviously, SeaTac will never allow any volunteers to put up trees. 1 - the unions would complain, and 2 - if someone is injured, an attorney will sue the airport for millions.

[DoughtyOne]

If you don't like my comment, go ahead and say you disagree and think I'm full of it. I'm not going to argue with you over it.

[TaraP]

Wiccans have a possible pending lawsuit....

To: George W. Bush
To whom it may concern:


We, the undersigned wish for the following:

-for George W. Bush, who is president in 2005 to retract his statement "The military should rethink their position. ...[Wicca is] not a religion." on Good Morning America in 1999 AND

-Recognise Wicca as a true and valid religion as defined by national law AND

-To recognise that the main law of Wicca and many newer forms of Witchcraft being "These words thou shall fufill;/if it harm none, do as ye will" equates a right to be a conciencious objector for religious reasons AND

-To allow and employ a number of Champlains/Preists/Preistesses appropiate to the number of Wiccan soldiers. (One for every twelve.)


If there is no reaction by 2007, the creator of this petition will file a Civil Rights suit on grounds of:

-Discrimination on account of religion AND
-Defamation

When the list has reached 1,000 signees, the petition creator will send letters to every national news publication that is relevent to this cause, such as Time Magazine, US Today and a number of others containing this petition and list of signees.

[SauronOfMordor]

Damage? What freaking damage? Some decorations were removed. They can be put back up. It's just a bunch of decorations!

You don't get it. SEA-TAC management is not going to allow the trees back. They don't want the hassle of a lawsuit (some other guy will step up to sue, never fear). Christians get PISSED OFF that they cannot have Christmas symbols in a country where they are the majority, and where, up until recently, it has been tradition. It WILL create resentment towards whoever is seen as being the cause of it

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

A Christmas Tree in an airport is NOT an "establishment" of religion in the legal sense of "establishment" in the Anglo-American tradition. It does not result in favoring the Episcopalians over the Baptists, Congregationalists, Catholics, Quakers, and Presbyterians, etc.

[Dog Gone]

metmom, I am accurately repeating what the public reaction to this story is. If you want to dispute that, I'll listen, but I'm not faking it.

I personally don't care whether the airport displays any holiday decorations. It's not why I go there.

Sea-Tac arguably overreacted to the threat, but maybe not. How much tax money should be spent on defending a law suit about this matter? I guess it depends on how strongly you feel about Christmas trees in the lobby and how offensive they are.

It's much easier to cave into these threats than to defend against them. All I'm saying is that if Rabbis start making a habit of this kind of thing, it likely will have negative repercussions. If that's too inflammatory for you, skip my posts.

[Mamzelle]

YAY Rabbi Lapin.

re: 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.)))

You stepped up and pointed out the simple truth. Rabbi E-B is entitled to no apology.

[KellyAdmirer]

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.

Hahaha, dude, you are way too rational. Moslems don't threaten to sue, at least not the ones who would be upset by this. They send granny in with a suicide belt and blow the place up.

[SauronOfMordor]

The Supreme Court has ruled that the menorah is not a religious symbol.

The Supremes can rule that my dog is a chicken, but he'll still keep barking

[Mamzelle]

I guess nothing will help you notice that there was a threat to sue.

[SJackson]

Tell me where you've spotted Wickens?

I'm told there's a bunch of them on Endor. Sorry if I'm being anti-Wiccan now.

[sageb1]

I'll have to look it up, but I really did think that they ruled that the menorah, as well as the star and crescent, were not religious. It was repeated again on a news show this afternoon in an interview with the Port spokesman by John Gibson. Do you remember what the specific ruling was in reference to so I can check?

[Billthedrill]

Here Lapin nails it, I think -

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.

A little common sense might serve here where passion leads us astray. Put the trees up and a Menorah too, without threats and lawsuits and screaming and all of this incredibly ill-timed vituperation. I don't think that's what either Christmas or Chanukah is all about. There was something about "good will toward men" I remember from Sunday school a long, long time ago. Right?

[SJackson]

And that is precisely what the spokesman said they didn't have time to do. He said they will be "looking into" the best way to do this for 2007. He also said that they are in an area which promotes secularism. He said that with a certain amount of pride.

This is very old stuff. Any attorney familiar with the issue could give them the answer in minutes, half hour billable.

He also said that they are in an area which promotes secularism. Put that together with Holiday Trees which represent everyone, and you're getting close to the answer.

[sageb1]

lol!

[Mamzelle]

re: The situation was already reversed and the rabbi tried to fix it)))

He's a real fixer, that one. LOL. It's so cute, how there's this lawyer in the story and you don't even notice that he exists.

[TaraP]

LOL..Uh-Oh I hope the wiccans don't put those straight pins
in those little pincushion dolls!