Merry Christmas in Bay Ridge
I was very pleased to read that back in my old neighborhood of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn a Christmas tree is back to being called a Christmas tree, not a “holiday tree.”
Last year, hundreds of people gathered for a tree-lighting ceremony complete with a Santa Claus and signs announcing the “holiday tree” lighting. “This is ridiculous and absolutely unacceptable,” said State Senator Marty Goldin. “There’s no such thing as a holiday tree.”
I agree with him 100%.
I think anyone who feels Christmas trees should be banned from city property is a grinch. Plenty of city money, state money and federal money goes to religious-based (Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, Catholic) social service agencies. All of them cater to their own people, and there’s no arm-twisting about making them publicize being inclusive of everyone no matter what.
So, gimme a break about Christmas!
November 28th, 2007 at 5:32 am
Actually as a point of information, if an agency gets public funds, they cannot discriminate based on religious affiliation. The only agencies that I know of that we fund that have primarily one religious group are ultra orthodox Jewish and that’s because their customs are so different from other groups that we prefer to send only that group there. (Use of Yiddish etc.)
November 28th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Joanna,
Best wishes for a Merry Christmas.
Karen
December 4th, 2007 at 6:01 am
Thank You, Karen-
Same to you.
Joanna