Threat of lawsuit removes Christmas trees - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

Drbio · 12-11-2006, 03:28 AM

SEATAC, Washington (AP) -- 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."

Drbio · 12-11-2006, 03:29 AM

I have no problem with the request of a menorah but the threat of a lawsuit was stupid.

Flacolaco · 12-11-2006, 09:29 AM

only in the united states.

Would you go to India and complain about all the Hindu stuff?

u2sarajevo · 12-11-2006, 09:33 AM

On a good note: After 4 years of my work office going Christmas tree-less.... This year the Christimas has returned!!!!!

No word on whether my daughters school will ever go back to calling the parties "Christmas Party" instead of "Winter Party". (It used to be "Holiday Party" until it was pointed out to the school board that Holiday is short for "Holy Day".... can't have that apparently)

So... Happy Winter Christmas?

Flacolaco · 12-11-2006, 09:36 AM

I find that offensive, I don't recognize winter

Drbio · 12-11-2006, 09:39 AM

I thank God every day that I work at a place where we can openly give praise to God.

Merry CHRISTmas to all.

dude1394 · 12-11-2006, 09:41 AM

Don't mess with texas.

dalmations202 · 12-11-2006, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drbio

I thank God every day that I work at a place where we can openly give praise to God.

Merry CHRISTmas to all.

Amen ....... and always will, or I will be working someplace else when they fire me.

DubOverdose · 12-11-2006, 12:01 PM

Psh...should people sue wal-mart for not selling menorahs? Last year I put up lights and an inflatable santa at my fraternity with a few other brothers, but not menorahs were in sight, so we stayed christmas themed.

MavsX · 12-11-2006, 03:56 PM

F Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky. Get the F out of here..its crap like this that we Americans take for granted.

They should have a judge that can throw the stupid law suit out of the court then throw your ass in jail for being a dumbass...

Edit: I don’t care that he was Jewish...it could be anybody complaining...I’m just talking about all the ridiculous law suits that go on in this country. Enough is enough

MavsX · 12-11-2006, 03:58 PM

---

u2sarajevo · 12-11-2006, 04:05 PM

I think the operative word here is "throw" MavsX.

Drbio · 12-11-2006, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MavsX

F Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky. Get the F out of here..its crap like this that we Americans take for granted.

They should have a judge that can through the stupid law suit out of the court then through your ass in jail for being a dumbass...

Edit: I don’t care that he was Jewish...it could be anybody complaining...I’m just talking about all the ridiculous law suits that go on in this country. Enough is enough

oops...too late...chum will be in here in a few minutes to call you an anti-semite.

Drbio · 12-12-2006, 09:48 AM

UPDATE!

SEATAC, Washington (AP) -- Christmas trees are going back up at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Pat Davis, president of the Port of Seattle commission, which directs airport operations, said late Monday that maintenance staff would restore the 14 plastic holiday trees, festooned with red ribbons and bows, that were removed over the weekend because of a rabbi's complaint that holiday decor did not include a menorah.

Airport managers believed that if they allowed the addition of an 8-foot-tall menorah to the display, as Seattle Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky had requested, 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, Airport Director Mark Reis said earlier Monday. (Watch why the airport yanked the trees and what travelers thought about the decision

)

Port officials received word Monday afternoon that Bogomilsky's organization would not file a lawsuit at this time to seek the placement of a menorah, Davis said in a statement.

"Given that, the holiday trees will be replaced as quickly as possible," he said.
Davis added that the rabbi "never asked us to remove the trees; it was the port's decision based on what we knew at the time."

There were no immediate plans to display a menorah, airport spokesman Bob Parker said, saying restoration of the trees was expected to take place overnight Monday.

"A key element in moving forward will be to work with the rabbi and other members of the community to develop a plan for next year's holiday decorations at the airport," the port statement said.
The rabbi has also offered to give the port an electric menorah to display, said his lawyer, Harvey Grad.

"We are not going to be the instrument by which the port holds Christmas hostage," Grad said, emphasizing the rabbi never sought removal of the trees, but addition of the menorah.

The rabbi had received "all kinds of calls and emails," many of them "odious," Grad said, adding he was "trying to figure out how this is consistent with the spirit of Christmas."

Thirteen trees had sat above foyers that lead outside to the airport drive. The largest tree, which Reis estimated to be 15 or 20 feet tall, was placed in a large lobby near baggage claim for international arrivals.

After the removal, some airline workers decorated ticketing counters with their own miniature Christmas trees.

Customer service agents with Frontier Airlines pooled their money Monday morning to buy four 1-foot-high Christmas trees, which they placed on the airline's ticketing counter. Atop a Delta counter, workers put up a tree several feet tall.
The airlines lease space for ticket counters from the airport, and can display trees there if they want, Reis said.

Flacolaco · 12-12-2006, 09:51 AM

Good.

and let 'em put up their freakin menorah if they want to do it themselves. who cares?

this is the United States!

MavsX · 12-12-2006, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by u2sarajevo

I think the operative word here is "throw" MavsX.

damn you newman! good call, and i changed it. Yeah i wrote that when i was angry yesterday..i still hate english though...

MavsX · 12-12-2006, 09:55 AM

an 8 foot tall menorah..haha

Flacolaco · 12-12-2006, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MavsX

damn you newman! good call, and i changed it. Yeah i wrote that when i was angry yesterday..i still hate english though...

english really is pretty gay

Mavdog · 12-12-2006, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MavsX

F Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky. Get the F out of here..its crap like this that we Americans take for granted.

yeah, who cares about the first amendment! to use your phraseology "F the US Constitution"! civil liberties are so overrated, right?

what a chump you are....

FINtastic · 12-12-2006, 09:29 PM

Quote:

"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."

Then why the heck did you bring the lawsuit?

FINtastic · 12-12-2006, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mavdog

yeah, who cares about the first amendment! to use your phraseology "F the US Constitution"! civil liberties are so overrated, right?

what a chump you are....

There wasn't anyone forcing the dude to become a Christian. Christmas has become a pretty secular holiday in America anyways that I seriously doubt his civil liberties were being trampled on. Nice try though.

Mavdog · 12-12-2006, 09:36 PM

there never was a lawsuit. there was the threat of a lawsuit if the display was not changed to include more than just the christmas items.

FINtastic · 12-12-2006, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mavdog

there never was a lawsuit. there was the threat of a lawsuit if the display was not changed to include more than just the christmas items.

It's all pretty much the same to me.

Mavdog · 12-12-2006, 09:39 PM

any government display of a specific religious theme is counter to the first amendment.

those who are not of the christian faith have the right to not have our government and our public spaces used to support christian themes, and in this case that right is being trampled on.

FINtastic · 12-12-2006, 09:51 PM

It's pretty debatable how much religious meaning a Christmas tree has. If your religious freedom is somehow threatened by a Christmas tree in an airport, then you're a pretty insecure person. This pretty much qualifies as a giant waste of everyone's time.

raefformvp · 12-12-2006, 10:06 PM

can you imagine having to be the person in charge of decorating at that airport? what a beating.

I understand the constitution and all, and I'm thankful to live in a country where I have the right to believe in whatever I want to believe in. but I'm growing tired of all of this political correctness crap. I hate that I can't freely state my beliefs in my classroom without the fear of some student saying I was "preaching". where's the freedom in that? this fear of stepping on someone's toes during the holiday season is getting a bit tiresome to me. I mean honestly, of the millions of Americans who celebrate Christmas, how many of them are celebrating the birth of Christ and how many are celebrating a big fat guy in a red suit bringing presents down the chimney?

Drbio · 12-12-2006, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raefformvp

can you imagine having to be the person in charge of decorating at that airport? what a beating.

I understand the constitution and all, and I'm thankful to live in a country where I have the right to believe in whatever I want to believe in. but I'm growing tired of all of this political correctness crap. I hate that I can't freely state my beliefs in my classroom without the fear of some student saying I was "preaching". where's the freedom in that? this fear of stepping on someone's toes during the holiday season is getting a bit tiresome to me. I mean honestly, of the millions of Americans who celebrate Christmas, how many of them are celebrating the birth of Christ and how many are celebrating a big fat guy in a red suit bringing presents down the chimney?

Perfect post.

FINtastic · 12-12-2006, 10:09 PM

raef sums it up beautifully.

Mavdog · 12-12-2006, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FINtastic

It's pretty debatable how much religious meaning a Christmas tree has. If your religious freedom is somehow threatened by a Christmas tree in an airport, then you're a pretty insecure person. This pretty much qualifies as a giant waste of everyone's time.

who said anything about "threatened"???

you do not understand the issue. public money, public workers, and public property was being used to promote a specific religious creed. that is counter to the us constitution.

the airport shouldn't have done it, so yes it is a "waste of..time".

Drbio · 12-12-2006, 10:35 PM

Wrong. Your interpretation is that a specific religious creed is being promoted. Their interpretation was that they wanted the airport to be decorated. But I guess you would have us all pick your view over a likely majority view.

BTW...political correctness sucks balls.

FINtastic · 12-12-2006, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mavdog

who said anything about "threatened"???

you do not understand the issue. public money, public workers, and public property was being used to promote a specific religious creed. that is counter to the us constitution.

the airport shouldn't have done it, so yes it is a "waste of..time".

Whatever you say Scrooge.

FINtastic · 12-12-2006, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drbio

Wrong. Your interpretation is that a specific religious creed is being promoted. Their interpretation was that they wanted the airport to be decorated. But I guess you would have us all pick your view over a likely majority view.

BTW...political correctness sucks balls.

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Drbio again."

Mavdog · 12-12-2006, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raefformvp

can you imagine having to be the person in charge of decorating at that airport? what a beating.

I understand the constitution and all, and I'm thankful to live in a country where I have the right to believe in whatever I want to believe in. but I'm growing tired of all of this political correctness crap. I hate that I can't freely state my beliefs in my classroom without the fear of some student saying I was "preaching". where's the freedom in that? this fear of stepping on someone's toes during the holiday season is getting a bit tiresome to me. I mean honestly, of the millions of Americans who celebrate Christmas, how many of them are celebrating the birth of Christ and how many are celebrating a big fat guy in a red suit bringing presents down the chimney?

I went to a choral concert at my teens school yesterday. they performed many songs, some of which were about christmas, some chanukkah songs, and some that were just good works with no religious theme.

that seems to be a very sensible way to be during the holiday season imho.

FINtastic · 12-12-2006, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mavdog

who said anything about "threatened"???

you do not understand the issue. public money, public workers, and public property was being used to promote a specific religious creed. that is counter to the us constitution.

the airport shouldn't have done it, so yes it is a "waste of..time".

Look, when our founding fathers were writing the US Constitution and they put that Freedom of Religion thing in there, I'm guessing they were worried about people being tortured or jailed because they didn't believe something. I doubt they cared much about a little tree in an airport

Drbio · 12-12-2006, 10:40 PM

Christmas would be perfect at the Mavdog house if it weren't for that birth of Jesus thing that kept getting in the way.

Mavdog · 12-12-2006, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drbio

Wrong. Your interpretation is that a specific religious creed is being promoted. Their interpretation was that they wanted the airport to be decorated. But I guess you would have us all pick your view over a likely majority view.

BTW...political correctness sucks balls.

"a likely majority view" is what should decide?

uh huh. sure.

under that scenario, we would still have slavery and schools would still be segregated...

Mavdog · 12-12-2006, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FINtastic

Look, when our founding fathers were writing the US Constitution and they put that Freedom of Religion thing in there, I'm guessing they were worried about people being tortured or jailed because they didn't believe something. I doubt they cared much about a little tree in an airport

it was actually about being able TO believe something.

raefformvp · 12-12-2006, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mavdog

"a likely majority view" is what should decide?

uh huh. sure.

under that scenario, we would still have slavery and schools would still be segregated...

hyperbole, perhaps?

u2sarajevo · 12-12-2006, 10:55 PM

How does a Christmas tree represent Christ? Because you use the word Christmas? Then just call it a "Winter" Tree....

I think someone (or some people) are just a bit too sensitive.

edit: My point was, if it wasn't clear, that a Christmas Tree does not support any religion I'm aware of. Well, maybe Wiccan's since they are "earth" people. But if you are complaining about that I guess we should pull out the Violets and the Grass at the Airports too.

Mavdog · 12-12-2006, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raefformvp

hyperbole, perhaps?

nah, I would never do that.....