Acerbic Politics

Some thoughts...

CNN is reporting this morning on another Christmas fiasco at the Seattle airport and the topic fascinates me no end. It seems that the airport has 11 Christmas trees displayed around the terminal(s) and they recently received a request from a Rabbi to also post a menorah, a symbol of the Jewish holy days celebrated this time of year.

CNN doesn't give us all of the facts - is the Seattle airport publicly owned? It makes a difference - if it's privately owned they can do anything they want. If it's publicly owned, then they are bound by the first amendment to our constitution, which states,

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

If publicly owned, the airport has no right to display 11 Christmas trees (representing the Christian high holy days) without also honoring the request to post the menorah for the Jews. Should there be requests from any other religion, they would also have to honor them as well.

Who pays for the Christmas trees and the power to run the lights on them? If it's the public, then the airport should also be responsible for paying for the construction of and display of any other religious symbols.

The religious right is coming out in droves to protest the removal of the trees, but it appears to me that the management at the airport is playing to them, accentuating the self-righteous role of all those who feel maligned - I'm going to take my ball and go home. What would it have taken for the airport to display a menorah? I can't believe it would have been much.

The airport staff were threatened by the lawsuit suggested by the Rabbi because they knew they were wrong. By playing to the hoardes of rabid right-wing Christians, they may get more than they bargained for - a huge lawsuit and a backlash they can't control.