Christmas trees removed from Seattle Airport

[TransAm12sec]

http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/airport-removes-christmas-trees/20061211100409990001?ncid=***00010000000001


CNN Video
http://us.video.aol.com/video.index.adp?mode=1&pmmsid=1790054&referer=http%3A//news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/airport-removes-christmas-trees/20061211100409990001


For a person who wants to encourage the holiday spirit, I don't think threatening to sue the airport was the greatest idea.

"After consulting with lawyers, port staff believed that adding the menorah would have required adding symbols for other religions and cultures in the Northwest. The holidays are the busiest season at the airport, Betancourt said, and staff didn't have time to play cultural anthropologists."

[88Nightmare]

you could say that a tree with lights on it is a symbol of christmas, but technically speaking, its just a decorated tree. A pine tree with lights....

[GRAMPS SS]

yea the rabbi went a liitle to far on this one...hell i'm -- old and in all my years this has never come up before....whats next a budda in the corner too........its a frecken tree with lights.....let it go rabbi

[u_say_go]

the worst thing you can do in America these days is hurt someone's feelings! Funny how the Jews and Muslims and Atheists get all bent out of shape when Christians "throw God in their face", yet they have no problem accepting or making money in America that has "in God we trust" printed on every piece of currency.
America was founded on prinicples of Christianity, AND we recognize that there are other beliefs and faiths...."freedom of religion" is written into our constitution. If they dont like the fact that Americans celebrate Christmas and they are offended by seeing displays of Christianity, they are free to board a plane and head to the land that supports their religion. Nobody is making you stay here f**kers!
I hate people!!!!

[H8RADE]

I love the fact that SeaTac dug in and made the Rabbi look like the proverbial schmuck.
This round of smiles is on me.
:rolf :thumbsup :rolf :thumbsup :rolf :thumbsup

[badass88gt]

I'm Jewish, and I think the whole thing is absolutely fugging retarded. The Rabbi should be kicked in the balls for even opening his mouth. Who cares if there are trees and not menorahs? When I see a tree, I dont get offended because there is no menorah. In our house, we have a tree, and I also light the menorah. Big deal. People like this should be beaten for this stuff. tHE PROBLEM IS, IF THEY DISPLAY A TREE FOR THE TRADITIONAL xMAS DISPLay (damn caps lock), then they display a menorah for Hannukah, whats next? Where does it stop? The holidays are typically associated with the Xmas tree, presents, Santa, etc, and anyone with a problem with it needs to STFU, plain and simple. When you have a display for the holidays, thats what it should be IMO. What I dont understand is, how would the Rabbi sue? Did it cause him monetary problems that he needs reimbursement?


On a related note, during the next day, many workers in the airport have put their own trees up on their counters.