December 6, 2011
If Christmas Is One of the Holidays Being Celebrated, What Is It That's Wrong with a Christmas Tree?
Just in case the point hasn't been made yet: Governor Lincoln Chafee's decision that he'd like the word Christmas hidden from public view to the degree he can control, for reasons of "inclusiveness", at a statehouse "holiday" celebration that has something to do with this time of year, is not coherent. If the holidays being celebrated today include Christmas, then there should be no problem calling a Christmas tree a Christmas tree. But if Christmas is regarded by the official host of today's affair as a curse-word likely to give offense, then it makes little sense to recognize the event a celebration of Christmas -- in turn raising the question of what exactly it is that's being celebrated.
The ambiguity leaves citizens who want to celebrate Christmas in an awkward position. Are we expected to celebrate whatever the state tells us to celebrate at the designated date and time, regardless of meaning? Or should we be happy to be admitted through the metaphorical back entrance to the celebration, warmly invited to participate, so long as we don't talk too obviously about our reason for showing up?
It's hard to see how putting people into this quandry can turn out well, or why a leader should want to create this problem for his fellow citizens in the first place.
UPDATE:
In his weekly column on the WPRO website, Matt Allen has a view on the question of why...
The real reason why Governor Chafee is calling the state tree a Holiday Tree instead of a Christmas tree is to lecture you on the “proper” way to operate a society in a progressive fashion. This move is reminiscent of the infamous “guns and religion” comments made by President Obama. These political twin brothers both have this idea that people who take part in old customs like putting up a Christmas Tree in a public place are behind the times and need to step into a more diverse and global society. Because they worship government and government programs as the one true savior they look at people with traditional American values as cavemen who haven’t yet discovered fire.
"Governor Lincoln Chafee's decision that he'd like the word Christmas hidden from public view to the degree he can control, for reasons of "inclusiveness", at a statehouse "holiday" celebration that has something to do with this time of year, is not coherent."
Exactly, Andrew.
The pine tree is secondary on a couple of levels - both as a religious symbol (as observers have noted) and vis a vis the Governor's action. Keep in mind that what the Governor attempted to set aside is not the tree but the word "Christmas".
Reminds me of a few years ago when I lived in SF Bay Area. Oakland took down it's Nativity scene to be "sensitive" to other religions. However the Kwanzaa display stood. Unrelated but related, "Comedy" Central South Park will not touch Muslims, Mohammed,etc but they trash Catholics, priests and Jesus on a regular basis. This is a "progressive" society unfolding before our eyes. The fact that the spineless governor is part and parcel is not surprising.
Posted by: ANTHONY at December 6, 2011 11:37 PMKwanzaa is non-religious.It's racially based.It was invented in the 60's or 70's by Ron Karenga,a Black nationalist activist.He still teaches at a California state college.
He used to head up US(United Slaves)a rival to the Black Panthers.
Karenga hates white people.
I loved the protest of the lighting of the tree. It is great how Dipetro led Catholics in "Oh Christmas Tree" and interrupted a children's choir. I especially love that depetro is the moral compas for the Catholics, sure he cheated on the rating system, but he is not a child molesting priest.
Posted by: Swazool at December 7, 2011 8:46 AMSwazool,
You liberals should be thankful for Depetro. If you didn't have him to kick around, you'd be kicking your own. The irony being of course, if it wasn't for you libs making such a big deal about what he has to say, no one would listen
Posted by: Max D at December 7, 2011 9:40 AMSwazool,
It's not healthy to be filled with such rage, because someone has questioned a government official's attempt to be the sole arbiter of the meaning of religious and community symbols.
{The fact that there is no substance to an argument, only rage against dissent, doesn't give someone the right to make long strings of personal attacks against people they disagree with. Subject closed. - CAM}
Posted by: Swazool at December 7, 2011 10:19 AMThere was certainly a lesson taught at the Statehouse last night..and it was learned by the children in that chorus. They learned they're not as important as a group of adults' demonstration of arrogance and hubris.
By the way, isn't there a Commandment that says "Thou shalt not put strange gods before me?" The Catholics who thought they had to follow DePetro in order to receive Communion next Sunday really should think about that a second. So should Tobin for enabling him.
Bella,
The hubris started at the top of the secular org-chart, when the Governor decided he could dictate the meaning of a symbol that's become part of a religious celebration, and it's not "separation of church and state" to insist that peaceful and visible dissent is improper, in response to a Governor asserting himself as the final authority on a religious matter.
@bella & swazool:The children's choir was stopped by the abrupt tree lighting,carried out with about as much empathy as a conductor closing a subway door.
The adults stepped into the vacuum.
Please-tell me you don't depend on Bill Rapelye for your facts.
I really hope Chafee doesn't have some big deal over a Menorah after all this.
Chafee complained about being MADE to pary in school.
Newsflash:he attend Providence Country Day,a private institution with its own rules unaffected by any Supreme Court decisions on school prayer.
Learn some things before prattling here .
Well, that's an interesting theory on what progressives think. Total fantasy, but interesting.
As an actual progressive, let me say that the lesson I learned here is there's no sense getting the state involved in religious observances, evidenced by how the most privileged group in the state flips out over imagined affronts such as whether or not a pine tree is named correctly in a press release.
I say, let's stop wasting money pandering to certain religious groups and get on with the business of the state. The losers in this are the kids and their parents who miss out on a special and fun holiday event, but so it goes in bizzaro world.
Posted by: Russ at December 7, 2011 2:54 PMOK,Russ,and let's stop pandering to Hispanics at the behest of ethnic pimps like Roberto Gonzales,Juan Garcia,Grace Diaz,and Juan Pichardo.
There are lots of Hispanics who neither want nor need their input.
Angel Taveras seems to be pretty effective with the community at large without stooping to such late 19th,early 20th century crap.
Ha! Yeah, Joe, and if Chafee called the ceremony an "árbol de navidad" lighting you folks wouldn't have said a word, seeing as it recognized Christmas and all!
Posted by: Russ at December 8, 2011 9:36 AMLoser Linc was CRUSHED on O'Reilly's show last night.
To avoid getting booed he turned the lights on in the middle of a kids song and then ran away like the lefty coward he is without uttering a word.
He's lost the unions. Now he's lost the decent but uninformed people who thought he was a carbon of his father.
{snip}
Russ-I was addressing ethnic identity politics,which you obviously like.
Those politics will drive divisions even further than they are now,but no matter as long as you "progressives"get your way and turn this country into crap.
The whole crew of you here are more predictable than an alarm clock.
"Quack,Quack"more taxes;"Quack,quack,no borders";"Quack,quack,more abortions for kids;"Quack,quack,gun control";"Quack,quack,no voter ID".
And so on.If any of you ever had an original thought,it would be a miracle.
Singing in the childrens' choir at the lighting of the State house Christmas tree is a big deal to the kids, and to their parents. An honor that requires travel and time commitments. What a thrill for them it could have been. Instead they got a demonstration in boorishness from the Governor, who couldn't even listen, acknowledge them or say thank you. He should be ashamed of how he has taken something good and turned it on its head with his blatant dishonesty.
""Quack,Quack"more taxes;"Quack,quack,no borders";"Quack,quack,more abortions for kids;"Quack,quack,gun control";"Quack,quack,no voter ID".
And so on.If any of you ever had an original thought,it would be a miracle."
LOL.
Hey Joe,
As long as I've been reading this blog, I think you're the first to ever have been lauded by Tommy Cranston for a comment. Getting an LOL is about as good as it gets coming from him.
Posted by: Max D at December 9, 2011 12:23 AM"I was addressing ethnic identity politics,which you obviously like."
I do? Funny most of the issues you mention are completely unrelated to ethnicity. I happen to live in a neighborhood with a fair number of immigrants. You seem to think that makes me an immigrant?
fwiw, I have objected to Voter ID on civil libertarian grounds and because it's a massive waste of time and money. What that has to do with my ethnic identity is beyond me.
"If any of you ever had an original thought,it would be a miracle."
How very original of you to say so, Joe (*yawn*). Megadittos.
Posted by: Russ at December 9, 2011 11:10 AMNo Russ-not YOUR ethnic identity-I'm speaking of the "minorities"you progressives love to manipulate through "leaders"-it was going on long before we were born.
But you knew what I meant,you faker.
BTW immigrants can't vote professor.
If you want to call it a Christmas tree, that's fine. As you wrote, it is one of the holidays being celebrated.
If you want to call it a holiday tree, that is fine.
Reminds me of the story of the blind men and the elephant. None of them had ever seen an elephant, so they were led to one. The first man grabbed its tail, the second, its trunk, the third its leg, and the fourth touched its side. The first decided that the elephant resembled a rope, the second that it resembled a snake, the third that it resembled a tree, and the fourth likened it to a wall.
OldTimeLefty