Dumb Lawsuits

Sing along, everybody! O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, Oh how deeply you offend me. O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, You really are un-PC. You’re sprucy beauty offends everyone, except of course for all the Christians. O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, my attorney’s who you’ll soon see.

SEATAC, Wash. (AHN) - With the threat of a lawsuit lifted and public pressure growing, officials at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, have decided to reinstall 14 plastic Christmas trees.

The trees were removed over the weekend after a rabbi threatened to sue the airport if it did not add an 8-foot minorah to its holiday decorations. Airport officials said they were concerned that adding the minorah, which commemorates the Jewish holiday, Hanukkah, would prompt demands for other religious decor. The airport lacks the time and manpower to fulfill such requests during the busy holiday travel season, officials said.

On Monday, Harvey Grad, attorney for Seattle Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky, told the Associated Press that the airport had over-reacted when it took down the trees. He said the rabbi had no desire to see the trees removed.

First of all, since when is Christmas tree an endorsement of a Christian religion? Was Jesus born in a pine tree farm? Did the three wisemen bring the baby Jesus gifts of Pine-Sol, a car air freshner and Miracle-Gro?

Of course, the rabbi never asked that the airport remove the trees. That was a decision made by the airport for fear of a lawsuit. But the public’s outcry of people from all faiths who felt that Christmas trees are a symbol of peace, tolerance and generosity forced them to put up the trees…for fear of a lawsuit.

The airport said they would not include a menorah in their exhibit but instead would try to make a display that was more inclusive. They unvailed a new holiday symbol called a menorahuwoledriedel.