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Christmas Trees Back on Some Airline Counters at Seattle Airport(Take That!)
FOX NEWS.COM ^ | December 11, 2006 | staff

Posted on 12/11/2006 6:37:44 PM PST by kellynla

SEATAC, Wash. — The official Christmas trees may still be missing from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, but a few individual airline employees have decided to try to put some spirit back into the holiday.

Employees at both Delta and Frontier airlines took up a collection on Monday and bought a few foot-tall decorated trees for the check-in counter.

The airlines employees' move came after airport officials removed all nine Christmas trees in the building in response to a rabbi's request to add an 8-foot menorah to the holiday decorations.

Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky made the request weeks ago, when he demanded officials add a menorah next to the trees and threatened to file a lawsuit if his request wasn't honored.

Instead, officials decided to remove holiday decorations as a whole. Maintenance workers boxed up the trees during the graveyard shift early Saturday, when airport bosses believed few people would notice.

"We decided to take the trees down because we didn't want to be exclusive," said airport spokeswoman Terri-Ann Betancourt. "We're trying to be thoughtful and respectful, and will review policies after the first of the year."

Bogomilsky said he was appalled by the decision.

"Everyone should have their spirit of the holiday. For many people the trees are the spirit of the holidays, and adding a menorah adds light to the season," said Bogomilsky, who works at Chabad Lubavitch, a Jewish education foundation headquartered in Seattle's University District.

After consulting with lawyers, port staff believed that adding the menorah would have required adding symbols for other religions and cultures in the Northwest. The holidays are the busiest season at the airport, Betancourt said, and staff didn't have time to play cultural anthropologists.

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


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Extended News; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: christmas; christmastrees; seattle
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To: RJL

What are you? Grammar police? Anyway, a contraction sometimes merely eliminates a space, like "does not" becomes "doesn't". Both contain seven characters, but one eliminates the space. Same with "do not" = "don't", "you are" = "you're", etc., etc.

Anyway, I'm sure you'll do well next year in the eleventh grade.
Meanwhile, I hope you're having fun arranging your socks just right or whatever it is you do when you're not picking nits.


61 posted on 12/11/2006 8:38:51 PM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: kellynla

Since, I'm Jewish, let me say,
I enjoy looking at the beautiful
Christmas trees both at work
and throughout America when I
travel. I feel sad that one Rabbi
and the response of many posts
can bring out such anger.
I just wonder what Jesus would
say about all the commotion.
Peace.


62 posted on 12/11/2006 8:55:36 PM PST by mogump
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To: SkyDancer
this rabbi is also a member of the local ACLU and his congregation extremely liberal in their views

If I'm not mistaken, the rabbi in question is Chassidic and most assuredly not liberal.

63 posted on 12/11/2006 9:04:24 PM PST by tuesday afternoon
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To: kellynla

Aw, those little foot high trees are like "Charlie Brown's Christmas". Sweet and kind of pathetic, all at the same time. Kudos to the employees at Delta and Frontier, though.


64 posted on 12/11/2006 9:06:25 PM PST by khnyny (God Bless the Republic for which it stands)
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To: gogogodzilla

[What are you, stuck on stupid? ]

What are you, stuck on crazy?


65 posted on 12/11/2006 9:08:27 PM PST by khnyny (God Bless the Republic for which it stands)
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To: HOTTIEBOY
"They want a war, we'll give it to them."

History has proven that but let's talk about reality. The complacency has been the years leading up to this...by the rabbi's people. They are tired of taking a back seat and not having equal representation. What is so hard about the airport allowing a donated menorah to be displayed? I have never heard of a single case where a public institution has displayed a menorah and not allowed a Christmas tree. Have you?
66 posted on 12/11/2006 9:20:56 PM PST by TL04
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To: kellynla

Saw a guy on the news tonight that was dressed in a Christmas tree costume at Sea-Tac. Bring our Christmas Trees back now!


67 posted on 12/11/2006 9:25:22 PM PST by Vicki (Washington State where anyone can vote .... illegals, non-residents or anyone just passing through)
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To: Vicki

The rabbi agrees with you.


68 posted on 12/11/2006 9:40:26 PM PST by TL04
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
I for one am fed completely up with people who are looking to be insulted or hurt by traditions we have had in this country for hundreds of years.

Not quite. You might want to read this."The Puritans banned Christmas in New England. Even as late as 1851, a Cleveland minister nearly lost his job because he allowed a tree in his church. Schools in Boston stayed open on Christmas Day through 1870, and sometimes expelled students who stayed home."

From what I've read, Christmas trees were a German custom, and pretty much imited to German immigrants and their descendents in America until about 1850.

69 posted on 12/11/2006 9:43:50 PM PST by retMD
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To: gogogodzilla

You keep repeating the same nonsense. The rabbi threatened SEATAC with a Federal lawsuit. He gave SeaTac an ultimatum. Put up a menorah and let us hold a religious ceremony or tear the Christmas trees down! If you do not comply with my demands I will sue your ass off.

SEATAC removed the Christmas trees and the Rabbi removed the threat of the lawsuit. There is no more lawsuit involved here. Unfortunatley, millions of Christians will not be able to enjoy the sight of Christmas trees this year at SEATAC.

For 25 years SEATAC had a Christmas tree display. This year they will not have one because this idiot Rabbi threatened SEATAC with a Federal lawsuit. The Rabbi must be real proud of himself. Did you notice now that the
Christmas trees are gone he is no longer screaming for a Federal lawsuit. He has withdrawn his threats.

The Rabbi is now reaping a whirlwind of anger from those who will be denied the sight of Christmas trees. He is now in serious backpedalling mode. However, it is too late. His threat of a Federal lawsuit and financial ruin a la ACLU gangster tactics will prevent the Christmas trees from being displayed. He is a mean-spirited bully.


70 posted on 12/11/2006 9:50:59 PM PST by daviscupper
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To: kellynla

Screw the "Menorah"

If we can't have "CHRISTMAS Trees" then the best the Jews can hope for is "Holiday Candelabras"


71 posted on 12/11/2006 10:09:13 PM PST by Wil H
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To: gogogodzilla
What are you, stuck on stupid?

" stuck on stupid" is threatening the airport with a lawsuit...

What response did you expect?

72 posted on 12/11/2006 10:11:37 PM PST by Wil H
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To: All
The full-size trees are going back up...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1752114/posts

73 posted on 12/11/2006 10:20:57 PM PST by TheBigB (Do you think "Lady in the Water" is in Ted Kennedy's NetFlix queue?)
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To: 69ConvertibleFirebird

You mean the constitution that govt can't take money at gunpoint to fund another guy's religion? Actually, I think that's pretty neat.


74 posted on 12/11/2006 10:32:02 PM PST by gcruse (http://garycruse.blogspot.com/)
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To: kellynla

Yes, travel these airlines!


75 posted on 12/11/2006 10:35:39 PM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: TheBigB

Yep, they showed them replacing the trees on the local 10:00 news, hooray!


76 posted on 12/11/2006 10:37:22 PM PST by Citizen Soldier (Now I got a fever...and the only prescription...COWBELLS!!!!)
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To: gcruse
Yes, the constitution that says that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

As I'm sure you know, that doesn't prohibit states from establishing religions, as they had state religions when the country was founded/the Constitution written. Also, putting up a Christmas tree is not congress passing a law establishing a federal religion. It does cause some to run in circles shrieking in horror, though.

Regarding your paying taxes by gun point. Yes, taxes are terrible but we have to fund the government somehow. I would hope that no one on FR wants a large government. Do you prefer no government at all?

I'm sorry that the Constitution is so disturbing to you.

77 posted on 12/12/2006 5:52:40 AM PST by 69ConvertibleFirebird (Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.)
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To: retMD

1850 was a little before my time.


78 posted on 12/12/2006 6:22:58 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks (BTUs are my Beat.)
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To: Wil H

Our family of 5 is flying Frontier this coming summer from Chicago/O'Hare to Denver. They're offering some of the best rates out there.


79 posted on 12/12/2006 6:39:07 AM PST by NotJustAnotherPrettyFace
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To: mogump
I just wonder what Jesus would say about all the commotion.

Oy Vey?

80 posted on 12/12/2006 8:13:45 AM PST by AxelPaulsenJr (Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.)
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