Jacob1983

This recently happened. Sad but true.

Dispute leaves holiday travelers treeless in Seattle - CNN.com

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. (Watch how the rabbi's complaint left them treeless in Seattle )

"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."


I honestly don't know how or why a person would get offended by seeing a Christmas tree. Some people might think that a Christmas tree is a religious thing. I never view a Christmas tree as being religious. I simply see it as a historical and traditional symbol of Christmas. If you say put a star or Angel on top of your Christmas tree then I could see it as being religious. I also believe it's really sad that people are so sensitive and offended by these things. I am never offended when I see a Menorah or a star of David. There is this guy at my college who always wears a yamaka but you don't see me calling the ACLU or hiring a lawyer to file a lawsuit against the guy. Ya wanna know why? Because it doesn't offend me. I don't see why this rabbi in Seattle made a big fuss about nothing. The airport took the politically correct way out and removed all the Christmas trees. The airport could have put some Menorahs up in the airport. However, I don't really see how a Christmas tree can be viewed as being as something religious. It's not like Jesus is a Christmas tree or something. I do think that there are some people in America that are too sensitive about silly things. And this whole argument that Christmas is a 100% percent religious holiday is ridiculous. Just because you celebrate Christmas does not make you religious. It all depends on your perspective and view.
The saddest part is that this rabbi was actually thinking about filing a lawsuit. It's funny how if you get offended or upset you have the right to file a lawsuit. It's like if you are called bad word or name then you should get a lawyer and sue the person that called you that bad word or name.

Lexis

The Rabbi wanted to add a Menorah and says he's appalled the trees were taken down. Its not so much that he's offended by the tree, he's offended that his religion has no representation.

I'm one of these people whose not really fussed. I don't need a tree in an airport - I got one at home for my celebrations.

migamoo

First, your title is a little misleading. The Rabbi was in no way offended by the trees. He just wanted his religious holiday represented along with the trees. While I think my may have gone a bit far, threatening legal action, he in no way was offended by the actual trees. He even said it was a bad thing that they took down the trees.

Jacob1983

My title is not misleading because it is the truth. CNN is where I saw the story and they stated the rabbi was offended by Christmas trees. I just honestly want someone to attempt to explain to me how a tree is offensive. I also would like to know how a tree is religious. A tree is not religious to me. It could only be religious if you purposely assign connotations or meanings to it. It's like if a person gets offended by seeing someone eat a turkey on Thanksgiving. From my perspective, the rabbi did get offended. The rabbi is also probably mad because he hates the fact that his religion is not the majority religion in America.

ceilirose

I read the same article yesterday and the rabbi wasn't offended. The title of the thread is very misleading.

Jacob1983

Are you going to call the ALCU on me? It's all about your perspective on the issue. From my perspective, the rabbi got offended and in a hissy fit because his religion was not represented at the airport. I just find it funny how you always hear how Jews and Muslims get so offended when they feel their religion isn't getting a fair take however it's not really a big deal or news worthy if a Christian or Catholic is offended. It's like one or two religions in America deserve more preferrence over others.

migamoo

The article's title is "Dispute leaves holiday travelers treeless in Seattle." Where does that imply that a Rabbi was offended by a tree? And if you read on in the article, it says :
This means the decision to remove the trees. He never wanted them removed because he wasn't offended by them! He would have liked Hanukkah elements also in the airport so his religion would be represented as well.

Please, quote from the article where it says he is offended. I mean, I must have skipped over it 6 times while looking for it.

Yes, to you. To some it may be though. You don't know until you ask the person.

Wow, what a pompous statement to make. Do you have anything to back that up?

ceilirose

LOL..is that directed at me?

Nah...I won't call them..this time...but you never know in the future.

Jacob1983

I didn't know that we were graded on FF. I will remember next time to make the titles of my threads more politically correct for you guys. Will that make you feel better?
I said in my opinion that I honestly believe the rabbi was offended by the Christmas trees. It's just my opinion. You can think whatever you want.

I still would like to know how and why a Christmas tree is offensive. I also want to know what makes a tree of any kind religious. I want proof. LOL

I just don't see what the big deal is. I see Hannukah symbols, signs and hear about people celebrating the holiday but you don't see me going to the ACLU or complaining about it. It doesn't bother me.


It was not a pompous statement to say that the rabbi probably hates the fact that his religion is not majority religion. It's my opinion. I thought I was entitled to it. I guess not.

migamoo

No, we are not graded on what we say here. If we were, we'd be in school. But guess what? You do owe it to yourself and to others to be as truthful to an article, especially the title, when posting it on this board. You don't want something misleading.

You say it's your opinion, now, that he was offended by the trees. Before, you stated that as fact, and the title confirms that.

I've never knew a person who was offended by a tree, so I can't answer as to why. But, I think that people may get offended if only Christmas decorations are up in a public area because they are not represented. America is supposed to be about equality, even though we all know it doesn't work that way, so when people are not represented it can hurt them. Just my opinion though.

And yes, it was a very pompous and arrogant statement to make. You don't know how he feels about his religion, so you shouldn't speak of it in a way that can be construed as arrogant. And you're entitled to your opinion, no one is saying that you aren't. But these so-called opinions are trying to pass themselves off as facts when they aren't.

Jacob1983

If people are going to call the ACLU you on me, then just go ahead and change the title of this thread. I swear people in society are way too sensitive. It does suck when someone gets screwed, called a name, or cheated out of something because their own race, religion, gender, age, or sexual orientation. However, that is just a part of life. We don't live in a world where everyone is treated equally. It sucks that the world is like but there's nothing you can do about it. I would love to live in a world where there wasn't any name calling or prejudice but that world doesn't exist. I have been called many names and cheated out of things simply because of my race but you don't see me making a federal case out of it. I know that sometimes in life, you get screwed. It sucks but it happens.

And about the title of the thread, I honestly didn't mean to mislead or offend anyone. I used that title because it was how I perceived the news story.

If a person honestly gets offended by a tree, then I would have to believe that there is something wrong with them. Just my opinion though. I'm not offended by Jewish and Islamic symbols or signs, so why should Jewish and Muslim people be offended by Christian ones?

flagpolesitta43

He wasn't offended by the Christmas Tree, he was offended because his religion was represented.

Though I do think this is a little moronic...in the end they're just decorations. Plus Christmas has always been more commerical than Hanukkah, so the big displays just go with the territory.

Lexis

Its not about political correctness - its a misleading title as nowhere in the article does it say that the rabbi was offended, only that he wanted a menorah to be displayed too.

I think I will change the title - we're now discussing the choice of title instead of the actual substance of the discussion you started. I'll change it to the title CNN created.

A quick search comes up a range of Christmas Tree origin stories, some from the pagan, others talking about the Christian collection

All about the Christmas tree: Pagan origins, Christian adaptation and secular status

I'm sure a more detailed search would come up with more.

So you just sit back and accept it? Why would you want to do that when you know something is unfair and you don't seem to like it? At least organisations like the ACLU you are trying. If you don't like the way they act, look for an organisation that cares about prejudice that fits your political ideals.

If you are fine with accepting that "you get screwed" and "it sucks", then that's your right. But some people don't want to accept it and I'm completely behind them in fighting for equality and their rights.

TheAngel

I'm amused by this. I have a friend on my floor that's Jewish. Not Orthodox, reform, but still, she was told in her school that Hanukkah was created simply so that Jewish Children would have a holiday to celebrate around Christmas time, and Christmas was created from the Celtic holiday of Yule, or Pegan more accruately, not just Celtic. We can't be totally inclusive, but it wouldn't offend me to go somewhere with just Jewish symbols represented. The majority of the US celebrates Christmas. Why is it such a bad thing to cater to the majority for things like this?

Jacob1983

You completely misunderstood what I said. I meant that sometimes when you get treated unfairly or screwed because of predjudice that you should just forget about it and walk away. Not everyone gets mad and causes a hissy fit when they are called names. I was teased, mocked, somewhat beaten, and ridiculed in high school but you didn't see me doing something horrible and pathetic like shoot up a school or something. You also didn't see me hiring a lawyer or calling the ACLU. I didn't do it because it wasn't worth it. You are a bigger person in my opinion when you simply just take your "licks" rather than retaliating by having a big hissy fit about it. And just because a person gets screwed or treated unfairly doesn't always mean that it was because of prejudice. Sometimes it's best to just walk away from the situation and don't look back. A lot of people fail to realize that there are certain things that will never change and you don't have any control over them. You can try to deny it and live in a box if you want to but you're just fooling yourself.

Why am I being painted as the bad guy on this? If you read my previous post, I even admit that I didn't mean to mislead or offend anyone with using the title of the thread. I guess that's not good enough for you.