Thursday, December 01, 2011

Battle Brews After RI Governor Calls the State‘s ’Christmas Tree‘ a ’Holiday Tree’

We read:
" The battle over holiday versus Christmas trees continues to rage on. First, an epic battle was underway in Wisconsin. Now, Rhode Island is the new epicenter, with the state’s governor deciding that “Christmas” isn’t an inclusive enough title.

On Tuesday, the state’s top leader said that lawmakers upset with his decision to call the blue spruce erected in the Statehouse a “holiday tree” instead of a “Christmas tree” should focus their energy on feeding the poor. [What??]

According to Gov. Lincoln Chafee, calling the tree a “holiday tree” instead of a “Christmas tree” is in keeping with Rhode Island’s founding in 1636 by religious dissident Roger Williams as a haven for tolerance, where government and religion were kept separate.

But critics of Chafee’s seasonal semantics said the independent governor is taking political correctness too far – and defying the will of the Legislature.

In January, the House of Representatives passed a symbolic resolution declaring that the tree customarily erected this time of year be referred to “as a ‘Christmas tree’ and not as a ‘holiday tree’ or other non-traditional terms.”

Chafee isn’t the first Rhode Island governor to refer to the annual Statehouse tree as a `holiday’ tree. His predecessor, Republican Gov. Donald Carcieri, used both `holiday tree’ and `Christmas tree’ in his correspondence.

The 17-foot Colorado blue spruce at the center of the holiday hullabaloo was donated to the state by Big John Leyden’s Christmas Tree Farm in West Greenwich, R.I. Tree farmer John Leyden said he‘s disappointed with Chafee’s yuletide word choice. “It’s not a holiday tree or even an `X-mas’ tree,” he said. “We’re a Christmas tree farm, that’s what the name is.”

Source

17 comments:

Stan B said...

I'm sorry - didn't know that worshipers of Odin and his ilk were feeling left out of the Holidays.

Can't really think of any other religious or secular sect that decorates trees for its mid-winter holidays - can you?

Anonymous said...

" secular sect that decorates trees"

BIG BUSINESS, that's who. (Walmart, Best Buy, Target, Amazon, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.)

Anonymous said...

Why on earth do they even bother putting it up? What exactly are they trying to prove?

Bird of Paradise said...

If DR SESUS was still around the PC secular crowd would made him rename his book and the cartoon HOW THE GRINCH STOLE THE HOLIDAYS

Anonymous said...

It's well known that the decorated tree in December originates in pagan Nordic traditions, which like so much else was subsumed into Christian traditions.
But so who cares now what the tree is called - in the current economic climate it's like another case of re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic!!!

Kee Bird said...

MARRY CHRISTMAS MY POTTER YOU OLD PENNY PINCHING OLD SKINFLINT YOU

Flu-Bird said...

Remember RHODE ISLAND is the smallists state in the union and its state bird(RHODE ISLAND RED CHICKEN)is more intellegent then the govenor himself

Anonymous said...

In an effort to create jobs, why not put a bounty on the heads of all atheists? Say, $500. per? The money for this project would come from raising the tax on things like expensive bottled water, Starbucks coffee, organic foods, and copies of the NY Times.

Just think of all the Americans we could put back to work, and just in time for the Christmas holiday!

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Jub jub Bird said...

Theyll soon replace CHRISTMAS with that phonie african celebration KWANZA

Matt said...

This idiot doesn't understand "separation of church and state" as it has always been practiced, even going back to the 17th century. The separation has traditionally meant that the religions were not directly supported by tax money, and that religious officials did not make civil laws.

It does not prohibit the public exercise of religion by public officials. In the US, officials have been publicly engaging in religious activities ever since the first European colonists arrived; this kind of anti-religiousness has only happened in the last few years, with the rise of academic leftists who hate or are embarrassed by traditional American culture.

He is attempting to deny traditional American culture by invoking traditional American culture. I am amazed that the people of Rhode Island would hire someone whose beliefs are self-contradictory.

I am not religious, but even I think this person is a moron.

Anonymous said...

5:25 AM doesn't understand that "separation of church and state" doesn't exist in the "U.S. Constitution". How can people possibly interpret 'freedom of religion' to mean smashing any mention of religion? Doublespeak.

Matt said...

Anonymous at 7:14 pm:

I never mentioned the Constitution, only you did.

Wildbird said...

If some atheists is offended by the term CHRISTMAS tell them to GET A LIFE

Anonymous said...

Or, better yet, take their life!

Flu-Bird said...

Our towns going to light up our CHRISTMAS TREE on SATURDAY and were not going all PC about it

Anonymous said...

@4:30 - Why don't you just kill yourself so that you can Jesus sooner?

Kee Bird said...

Shame on you annon 4:47 dont ever suggest that Just ask them to GEAT REAL