OffTopic but

[AFCWestFan]

This just makes my skin crawl.

Airport removes Christmas trees
Rabbi had requested a giant Jewish menorah be added to holiday display
The Associated Press
Updated: 9:31 a.m. MT Dec 11, 2006
SEATAC, Wash. - All nine Christmas trees have been removed from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport instead of adding a giant Jewish menorah to the holiday display as a rabbi had requested.

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.”

Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky, who made his request weeks ago, said he was appalled by the decision. He had hired a lawyer and threatened to sue if the Port of Seattle didn’t add the menorah next to the trees, which had been festooned with red ribbons and bows.

“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 in Seattle at the regional headquarters for Chabad Lubavitch, a Jewish education foundation.


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.

Hanukkah begins this Friday at sundown.

“They’ve darkened the hall instead of turning the lights up,” said Bogomilsky’s lawyer, Harvey Grad. “There is a concern here that the Jewish community will be portrayed as the Grinch.”

© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16150563/

[Hotrod]

300 WSM>7Mag

[AFCWestFan]

Only if you are a better shot

[Hotrod]

Originally Posted by AFCWestFan

Only if you are a better shot

Thats alway true

[That One Guy]

Originally Posted by AFCWestFan

Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky, who made his request weeks ago, said he was appalled by the decision. He had hired a lawyer and threatened to sue if the Port of Seattle didn’t add the menorah next to the trees, which had been festooned with red ribbons and bows.

“They’ve darkened the hall instead of turning the lights up,” said Bogomilsky’s lawyer, Harvey Grad. “There is a concern here that the Jewish community will be portrayed as the Grinch.”

They don't want to look like the grinch yet they threatened to sue because someone had put up a christmas tree and they weren't properly represented. One day folks are going to have to understand that there's mainstream and there's everything else. The mainstream holiday symbol is christmas or christmas trees and the menorah is specific to the Jewish community. Due to today's rediculous situations around religion, I wouldn't be suprised if they griped over something like a Baby Jesus. A christmas tree though, come on...

And tell the Jewish guy to get a job. If he doesn't have better things to do with his time then go around threatening to sue because folks wont properly represent his religion... then he should take up masturbation.

I don't know everyone else's take on this topic and I know it's touchy but geez... Don't play the equality card to impose on our traditions. It aint like we're stringin' someone up to a tree...