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

:

[colorado tanker]

So, according to Seattle, Osama and the Al Qaeda fanatics won the battle with the 9-11 attacks by forcing us to give up our Christmas celebration? Only liberal idiots like this could turn victory in Afghanistan into defeat at home.

[ohioman]

True...but these A-holes in King County truly deserve to be BLASTED ALL OVER THE INTERNET.

[Lowcountry]

uh...religion free? Seems that "Christmas" is a holiday specifically celebrating the birth of Christ. A Christmas without Christ or the Christian "religion" is just a "winter break". And why would that be necessary? And why would we give "winter break" gifts?

It is time to fight back in a big way. Several years ago, I sent my assistant out to purchase Christmas cards for my business. She came back with several samples, none of which mentioned the word Christmas. It was all "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings". I told her I wanted cards with Christmas specifically mentioned as the focus. She said "oh no, you can't do that. It might offend someone." I told her "if it offends someone I'm Happy! Now go get some Christmas cards."

If someone tells you they don't believe we should celebrate Christ at Christmas, tell them to just skip the holiday because that's what its all about!

[ppaul]

Volley Flag!

[Ol' Sox]

Who does this @$$ think he is? Get a load of his website - the product of an overblown ego. And as the "executive" of a county, he thinks he can wipe out religion in the name of diversity? woof. This fellow has earned a phone call or two.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Well, my idea, is that any King County-sponsored "religious-neutral" event should be freeped, and hard... a good way, would be for as many of us as possible to show up dressed as either A. Jesus, or B. Santa Claus...

Just because the event is "neutral" doesn't mean the attendees have to be

[ppaul]

Who does this @$$ think he is? Get a load of his website - the product of an overblown ego......This fellow has earned a phone call or two.

You nailed it bro'! And, he'll hopefullly get more than just one or two calls.

[flamefront]

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.

No nativity scenes, really?

Or does this silliness provoke mixed scenes -- the imagination goes wild -- Barbary pirates attacking Joseph and Mary, etc.

[Skywalk]

LOL.

This stuff'd make great comedy if it weren't serious. And me being an agnostic doesn't make this any less hilarious.

[babylonian]

I hope everybody here emails this idiot!

[goodnesswins]

Someone suggested we all SEND Mr. Simms a RELIGIOUS Christmas card.....he's on MY list this year.

[ppaul]

ATTENTION: Washington FReepers!

Forward this to your ping lists. The King County "Executive" has gone way over the line this time.
Let's ALL OUT FREEP this preening, windbag, Ron Sims - whose overblown ego knows no boundaries.

:

[Probus]

Did you see the "Green" crap on this website? This guy makes a living promoting BS causes. Unreal, imagine his job description, how do you apply? Would such a position have existed in 1950?

[Skywalk]

how does one setup a ping list? :)

[stainlessbanner]

I found this "Diversity" event on his website calendar:

New Work Ensemble presents an original, non-verbal ensemble piece: "Objects & Underwear". November 30 and December 1 - 8.

[B Knotts]

I'm not usually an advocate of such a thing...but this could make a pretty humorous chain email.

[ppaul]

Objects & Underwear

Just one of many examples. King County publises an annual book of "poetry" (at taxpayer expense), among other things.
How very nice. How culturally diverse. How sensitive, eh?

[spunkets]

"Particularly in public areas, this means that any holiday recognition or celebration should be religion-neutral."

Christmas celebrates Christ's birthday. That is the fundamental truth of the happening. To go along with this amounts to accepting and promoting pure Bravo Sierra. We know what the foxtrot these people are up to.

[B Knotts]

I notice that in a lot of the PC world, it seems that "the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attack" (or, as they prefer to call it "incident"), the politically-correct response seems to be to embrace the views of those who attacked us, and to shy away from that which they attacked.

Seems kinda wimpy to me. We should be barbecuing more pigs about now, IMO.

[Cindy]

Hmmm, cancelling Christmas so that the county can celebrate a politically correct Xmas and everything will be alright?!!! That is total nonsense, to say the least.

A CHRISTmas Celebration! (click here)