Posted on 12/11/2006 10:13:29 PM PST by TheBigB
SEATAC, Wash. — The Christmas trees are going back up at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Port of Seattle officials had ordered the trees taken down over the weekend after a local rabbi threatened a lawsuit if a menorah wasn't also displayed at the airport.
Airport officials say they took that action out of concern that if they allowed the addition of a menorah, they would also have to display symbols of other religions and cultures, which was not something airport workers had time for during the busiest travel season of the year.
Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky says he never asked that the trees be taken down, and the threat of a lawsuit was withdrawn.
With the threat of the lawsuit gone, airport spokesman Bob Parker says all 14 trees will go back up -- hopefully by tomorrow morning.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I like the Lubavichers - good guys, they usually give me a menorah during Hannucah. They are everywhere - I have seen them in Rio de Janeiro and I think they are in Tibet!
He said he would sue them to ALLOW his display, not to REMOVE the christmas trees.
I don't like that he threatened to sue them, but he isn't responsible for how they reacted to his threat, which was not about the trees.
What's worse, they probably sang "Walking in a Winter Wonderland", which somehow is called a "christmas song".....
I have an online "Chanukah Store" on my website, which includes a jewelry store. Ever since this "unpleasantness" I have been considering adding a selection of "Grafted In" jewelry for Christians who might be browsing the online shop.
I have heard that the "Grafted In" is hard to find.
What do you think, FReepers?
FRmail me to be added or removed from this Judaic/pro-Israel/Russian Jewry ping list.
Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.
I still don't know what's wrong with a private organization putting a Menorah in an airport. Airports have public places they allow to be used for all sorts of cultural exhibits, what's wrong with displaying a menorah?
"IIIIIIIIII'm dreaming of a whiiiiiiite Kwanzaaaaaaaa"
Grafted in? Blended together to show support between the 2? Is that what you mean? If so, nice idea. I saw some someplace, but can't remember where.
He "threatened" a lawsuit, in the hopes that just saying he might sue would change their mind and they would allow him to put up the menorah (which they should have allowed anyway).
Instead, the Democrat supporter who runs the place decided to use the opportunity to make the Rabbi look bad and get what the democrat probably wanted anyway, by pulling down all the trees and blaming it on this "threatened lawsuit".
Now everybody's mad at the Rabbi, but all he wanted was to put up a Menorah in a public place to celebrate HIS religion, something that gets lost really in all the christmas and Kwanza stuff.
It's not like he wanted to run church services on the property -- he just wanted to put up some cultural symbols that would remind people of the jewish holiday celebration. That the ACLU fights this group, and that an airport (which obviously had no problem with christmas trees) would deny him a space, is the real story here.
And when he suggested he would fight for his right, the airport took an action which effectively shut him down -- he won't sue now, so he's lost his only avenue to get what he deserves to have -- in effect, the airport chief used public opinion against his adversary.
"Grafted in" means a cross and a Star of David combined.
I have heard that the "Grafted In" is hard to find.
I haven't heard of graphics or jewelry on the topic, but it sounds very nice. A reference I assume, to Chapter 11 of Paul's epistle to the Romans:
For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated one, how much more will they who belong to it by nature be grafted back into their own olive tree.
-- Romans 11:24
I'm sorry, but the airport action reminds me of the hollywood blockbuster action movies. Like Die Hard. There's a guy trying to do what is right, the bad guys then kill a hostage, and the police say it's McClane's fault, like if he just surrendered to the bad guys then the bad guys wouldn't kill any more people.
Well, this guy wanted a Menorah, and in response the airport killed the christmas trees and said "It's all the evil Rabbi's fault for asking for a Menorah, make him go away and you can have your precious christmas trees back".
Sadly, that type of manipulative tactic works all too often, as it seems to be working here.
The Rabbi was an A$$HOLE, period. And like most Jews in this country, he is most likely a Democrat. Nuff said.
And the Solidad Cross is not a religious symbol, it's just a large "t"!!!!!
Ehat do you know about that?
Typo correction . . . What do you know about that?
This is all soooooo silly!
What is it that you and people like you do not understand that this is Christmas. That the majority of the people in this country celebrate Christmas and not a Jewish holiday. And that we have done so for decades before people like you wanted to implant other religious meanings into this holiday. I - and probably millions of other people - do not care one wit how Jews celebrate their special days and have no desire to implant Christain symbols or meanings into a Jewish holiday. I wish you - and people like you - would just let us celebrate Christmas without attempting to dilute the holiday.
That's what I thought. I like the idea.
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