Dear Governor Patrick,
Speaking as a religious Jew, I can assure you that I do not find it “inclusive” or “welcoming” for you to call the tree you’re lighting today a “holiday tree”.
If it were my choice, there would be no religious symbols of any sort on public property. But since that’s never going to happen, at the very least the symbols that are erected to recognize various people’s religious observances should actually recognize those observances, not water them down and engage in ludicrous newspeak to imply they’re something they’re not.
The only December holiday that involves a tree is Christmas. Please call it what it is and stop pandering to a class of people that don’t actually exist. Nobody who’s offended by Christmas trees on public property is mollified by calling them something different.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Kamens
In my old age, I tend to grapple with issues too seriously and was swept with catharsis when I read your post. When I read “… pandering to a class of people that don’t actually exist,” I laughed out loud.
Refreshingly authentic; thank you!
I have no problem whatsoever with the temporary placing of religious symbols on public property, as long as it’s privately funded and all groups have access. If these xmas trees are publicly funded [I don’t know if they are, and I’m too apathetic to spend time finding out], I can see why they’d want to pretend that they have nothing to do with religion.
I guess I must be missing something here. Governor Patrick, could you please tell me what other religious faiths trim a tree around the 25th of December? Also, it would be nice if you spoke of the importance of Hanukkah , Ramadan, and Kwanza to their respective faiths. Please enlighten us with y\our superior knowledge.
Wow, I had no idea they called it a holiday tree.
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2005/11/28/bostons-holiday-tree-sparks-controversy-last/1
Seems like pretty much no one likes the idea… Christians and non-Christians, for various reasons.
Calling it a holiday tree is ridiculous. Are they going to light one candle a night on a nine branched “holiday” candelabra, too?
Christmas Trees may have pagan roots and capitalist branches… but they’re still Christmas Trees at the end of the day.