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Another Reader Banned by
FreeRepublic. Which word don't they understand - Free?
Or Republic?
: A Reader Reports Santa
Has Been Banned - In MD!
FROM:
[Name Withheld]
In Montgomery County, MD, the mayor
just discontinued the long-standing tradition of having
Santa arrive on a fire truck to light the Christmas Tree
at the community's annual ceremony. (For story, click
here).
Two families felt "uncomfortable"
with Santa being part of the event because they "don't
celebrate Christmas," so the mayor gave Santa the boot.
I'm not sure why they weren't
offended by the tree. Maybe next year.
It should be pointed out that this
is the same Montgomery County that tried to pass
legislation barring county residents from lighting
up a cigarette in their own home if the smoke
"threatened a neighbor's health."
Peter Brimelow writes:
You REALLY can’t make this stuff up! Santa Claus purged
just five days after I satirically suggested it when
introducing our War Against Christmas competition!
As for the Christmas tree, readers clicking through to
the November 28 AP story, datelined Kensington, MD, will
note that it carefully refers only to the “tree lighting
ceremony.” Could be a Kwaanza tree, you know.
Now for the biggie: purging the
word “holiday” itself! Obviously a covert allusion to
Christian “holy days” – blatantly unconstitutional! It
must immediately be replaced with “Happy Vacation.”
Or maybe “Unhappy Vacation.”
Come on, Abolish-Americaniks! We
know you can do it! Let your slogan be: Get The Job
Done In 2001!
(How come the year has that
number anyway?)
James Fulford adds:
The Mayor And Council of
Kensington, Maryland.
(Send
them mail.) decided unanimously that Santa Claus
would be banned from this year's Christmas Festivities.
If the word Christmas was used
during the November Council meeting, it was not recorded
in the
Council Journal, which referred to a Holiday Event.
Soon they will be calling it a
Winter Festival. Oddly like C.S. Lewis’ description of
Narnia under the rule of the White Witch:
"Always winter and Never Christmas!"
Kensington has streets named
Calvert and Baltimore, like a lot of towns in Maryland.
Imagine the shock the Council is
in for when they find that George Calvert,
Lord Baltimore, who founded Maryland, not only fled
religious persecution and established religious liberty,
but had named the entire state after the Virgin Mary.
Town Journal Excerpts
The Tree Lighting Committee presented their ideas for the Holiday Event.
Due to the renewed sense of patriotism, they proposed incorporating patriotism into the event
including lighting the tree with red, white, and blue
lights, having local heroes present, and having the
Levine School play patriotic music. They thought this
would make it a more inclusive event which the whole
Town could come together and enjoy.
The Mayor introduced the idea of a Peace Banner for children in Town to
place any ornaments they made.
Some residents expressed concerns regarding religion and Santa Claus in
the Holiday Event.
************
Council Member Pfautz moved to support the final proposal by the Tree
Lighting Committee with a Peace Banner instead of a
Peace Tree and without Santa Claus for this year only.
It was seconded by Council Member Cowan and passed
unanimously.
November 28, 2001
