County Executive orders "religion-neutral" Christmas (and blames 9/11 Attack)

King County Executive ^ | 11/30/01 | Ron Sims, King County Executive

[ppaul]

TO: KC Global Announcement to All King County Employees

FM: Ron Sims, King County Executive

RE: Holiday Celebrations

With the post September 11 tragedy climate and the religious holidays starting, we at King County want to ensure that any upcoming holiday celebration at the workplace is held in a respectful, inclusive, and sensitive manner that does not favor one religion over another. Particularly in public areas, this means that any holiday recognition or celebration should be religion-neutral.

Examples of religion-neutral practices include: naming the celebration(s) "Holiday Celebration" or "Winter Celebration;"

using general greetings such as "Happy Holidays" or "Holiday Greetings;"

using decorations that are commonplace - poinsettias, evergreen boughs, lights - but not using religious symbols nor practices; and

obtaining the concurrence of all affected employees prior to holding a holiday social and/or food gathering. Care should be taken that employees who do not concur with holding a gathering are protected from retaliation.

Cultural information sharing about various religious holidays in the name of diversity is allowable when it is done in the context of employee education and is inclusive of various religious celebrations such as Ramadan, Hanukkah, Christmas, etc.

I encourage you to contact Maria Batayola, at (206) 263-7380, should you have any questions and/or comments.

cc: Robert S. Derrick, Director, Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM)

Maria Batayola, Manager, Diversity Management Division, OHRM

King County Executive, RON SIMS

:

[ppaul]

Here is an interesting note from Sims' web page:

Jointly released by the City of Seattle and King County

Seattle and King County are pleased over the receipt of $9,304,891 in federal McKinney Homeless Assistance funds for housing programs and support services for homeless people. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) made the announcement of awards on Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2001.....The $9.3 million leverages over $26 million in other funding resources (including local, federal, state and private fund sources).

Where, pray tell, is all this money going?
If all this assistance is actually going to the "homeless," how come all the homeless are not millionaires?

:

And, if this is just for Seattle, just think how much money is being thrown around elewhere!!!

[DM1]

exec.sims@metrokc.gov Everyone should send him an email to express any feelings we all may have about this.

[weegee]

Yep, tell the teachers and city workers that they have to go in those days (unless they want to take vacation time). Parents are free to keep their kids at home in religious observance.

Hope they have fun sitting at a desk indoors doing busywork while everyone else is at home with their families celebrating.

Is this County Executive a decendant of Scrooge?

[weegee]

...why don't all non-Christians butt out of our holidays!

They see us having too much fun. Travelling across the country to gather with friends and family to go to church and eat a large feast, sharing gifts with one another, "blessing" Peace On Earth to one another, being generous to the Salvation Army kettle, volunteering time at homeless shelters, all in the name of Jesus.

How can this be possible? And this isn't even the "big" celebration, that's saved for Easter.

Some are probably non-Christians who still go home for the "holidays" (and have practicing Christian parents) while others are weak athiest parents who don't have the fortitude to tell their kids, no!

[weegee]

With the post September 11 tragedy climate and the religious holidays starting...

The muslim terrorists have won their battle if they succeed in silencing the Christians and Jews in our country.

[goodnesswins]

Here's the street address if you'd like to send Simms or Bayatola a RELIGIOUS CHRISTMAS Card

King County Courthouse 516 Third Ave, Rm 400 Seattle, WA 98104

[BlackbirdSST]

Was'nt it Lenin who said something to the effect of "remove freedom in small increments and by the time the people realize its gone there's nothing they can do about it"? Except die like men! A part of the equation so many in power overlook. I'll be a subject to no man. Period. Live free or die. Blackbird.

[Jack Wilson]

Here is what I sent :

If every county followed your lead and allowed only 'religion-neutral' and 'sensitive' celebrations, then every county's celebration would be identical, thus resulting in total homogeneity rather than diversity. Actually, this attitude would require banning any holiday celebration.

[Looking4Truth]

I just sent a blank e-mail with the subject line: "Merry Christmas and God Bless America/Happy Birthday Jesus".

Even if not opened, message gets across.

Oh wait, I forgot to mention to them that I won't be visiting there and spending money any time soon.

[Looking4Truth]

I also wonder if this guy is an affirmative action hire who has built a career filing grievances when he got passed over for promotion. I've seen that type before, everyone is afraid of them so they continue these tactics as a means to advancement when they should be doing their jobs.

I also wonder if he refers to himself as "African-American".

You are either American or you are not. I think I know the answer here, and I'm wondering why we continue to allow these types in government positions.

[anniegetyourgun]

I couldn't help but notice that too. Makes Seattle an even more "attractive" place in which to sleep under the freeway.

[DoughtyOne]

in a word, pathetic

[doug from upland]

How can Christmas be religious neutral. It is about the birth of the Son. It is the basis of Christianity.

[Old Professer]

WHAT HAPPENED TO KWANZAA?

[theoriginalgriff]

I sent this to Ron Sims Comment box:
What kind of insanity is this? Is your police department going to arrest carollers singing "Silent Night," or "Away in a Manger"?? They are verboten, right?
The sad thing is that if you were living in New York City instead of Washington state, you'd have quite a different perspective about how you chose to celebrate Christmas this year, especially because of 9/11. I feel sorry for you. I hope that bunch of idiots all get switches in their stocking this year!

[Whilom]

Oh, wow! It's Darkness at Noon in Seattle.

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

They have no authority to do this,inclusiveness&diversity be damned.BAH HUMBUG!!

[tomakaze]

this has to be about the gayest thing I've ever heard.
Wilkommen ins Seattle! Sensitivity Uber Alles!

Makes me feel a little sheepish about griping about the fruits, nuts, nimnulls and morons in Cali, when we have so many of our homegrown ones on the west-side.
I shouldn't be surprized though, our state has a long "proud" history of this type of cranial-rectosis -(the wobblies, world sociliast worker crap. hippies, green nuts, limosine-pinko-bellvueites, etc.)
It's disgustipatin'.

[doxteve]

It's winter. It's always darkness at noon in Seatttle. :-)