St. Paul City Office Anti-Christian

[ironmonk]

[url="http://www.startribune.com/484/story/327850.html"]http://www.startribune.com/484/story/327850.html[/url]

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - A small Easter display was removed from the City Hall lobby on Wednesday out of concern that it would offend non-Christians.
The display - a cloth Easter bunny, pastel-colored eggs and a sign with the words "Happy Easter'' - was put up by a City Council secretary. They were not purchased with city money.

Tyrone Terrill, the city's human rights director, asked that the decorations be removed. Terrill said no citizen had complained to him.

Council Member Dave Thune called it a shame.

"This has just gone too far,'' he said. "We can't celebrate spring with bunnies and fake grass?''

The council president, Kathy Lantry, said the removal wasn't about political correctness.

"As government, we have a different responsibility about advancing the cause of religion, which we are not going to do,'' she said.

It's not the first time a holiday symbol has been removed from City Hall. In 2001, red poinsettias were briefly banned from a holiday display because they were associated with Christmas.


My email...
[quote]TO:<ward7@ci.stpaul.mn.us>
CC:<ward6@ci.stpaul.mn.us>, <ward5@ci.stpaul.mn.us>, <ward4@ci.stpaul.mn.us>, <ward3@ci.stpaul.mn.us>, <ward2@ci.stpaul.mn.us>, <ward1@ci.stpaul.mn.us>
SUBJECT: ATTN: Kathy Lantry
Kathy,

In reference to your comment about taking down a "Happy Easter" sign:
"As government, we have a different responsibility about advancing the cause of religion, which we are not going to do,''

An Easter display saying Happy Easter is not "advancing the cause of religion". What it is, is saying "Happy Easter" to the majority of the people in your city who celebrate Easter. Our country has been celebrating Christian Holidays since before the USA was founded. Surely if you belonged on the council you would know this - and respect it.

[b]Amendment I (1791) [/b]
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, [u][b]or prohibiting the free exercise thereof[/b][/u]; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.


You are prohibiting the free exercise of the people who celebrate Easter who work for the City.

Just because your faithless beliefs differ does not give you the moral right to force them on others.

You owe everyone who celebrates Easter in your city an apology and need to correct your mistake. If you don't think you do, then you have no business on city council and should be removed because of your disrespect for our country's history.

Happy Easter,
Max
[/quote]

Please join me in emailing them.

God Bless,
ironmonk

[ardillacid]

Yeah, I saw that yesterday. Didn't particularly surprise me, considering which state it is.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

You know, the First Amendment doesn't really support the separation of Church and state...it's more like it says, "as regards the Church, we just won't go there."