Seattle airport removes Christmas trees to avoid lawsuit

SEATAC, Washington (AP) — All nine Christmas trees have been removed from the Seattle-

Tacoma International Airport instead of adding a giant Jewish menorah to the holiday display as a rabbi had requested.

Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky, who made his request weeks ago, said he was appalled by the decision. He had hired a lawyer and threatened to sue if the Port of Seattle didn’t add the menorah next to the trees, which had been festooned with red ribbons and bows.

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.

I love it.. They dont have time to play cultural anthropologists!! what a great line.

“They’ve darkened the hall instead of turning the lights up,” said Bogomilsky’s lawyer, Harvey Grad. “There is a concern here that the Jewish community will be portrayed as the Grinch.”

Well there you have it. The Jewish Community is the Grinch.

Someone needs to point out that these days the Christmas tree really is not seen as a “Christian” symbol. At least for me (Atheist) its simply a sign of the season and has fuck all to do with some religion. Especially since it and the yule log are all pagan symbols to begin with.