Acceptable in Fort Collins: A display called “Source of Life”
A special task force in a Colorado city has recommended banning red and green lights at the Christmas holiday because they fall among the items that are too religious for the city to sponsor.
“Some symbols, even though the Supreme Court has declared that in many contexts they are secular symbols, often still send a message to some members of the community that they and their traditions are not valued and not wanted. We don’t want to send that message,” Seth Anthony, a spokesman for the committee, told the Fort Collins, Colo., Coloradoan.
He said the recommended language does not specifically address Christmas trees by name, but the consensus was that they would not fall within acceptable decorations.
What will be allowed are white lights and “secular” symbols not associated “with any particular holiday” such as icicles, unadorned greenery and snowflakes, the task force said.
The group was made up of members of the city’s business and religious communities as well as representatives from some community groups. Members met for months to review the existing holiday display policy, which allowed white as well as multi-colored lights and wreaths and garlands.
In previous years, there also was a Christmas tree at the city’s Oak Street Plaza.
A vote on the proposal will be coming up before the city council on Nov. 20, officials said.
“As far as I’m concerned, the group ended up in a very fair place in which primarily secular symbols will be used on city property,” task force member Saul Hopper told the newspaper.
The existing holiday display rules were adopted in 2006 after a rabbi requested that the city display a menorah.
The only apparent exception to the completely secular rule would be at the Fort Collins Museum, where a “multicultural display” of symbols and objects would be collected to represent Diwali, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Christmas among others.
“I expect criticism from people who feel like we are taking Christmas away. And I expect we will get criticism from people who think educational display endorses religions,” Anthony said. “(But) to the extent we can, recognizing that offending no one will be impossible, we want to be inclusive.”
City officials touted their own efforts.
“I am really delighted to see us taking this step,” Mayor Doug Hutchinson said when the task force was being assembled. “I think Fort Collins is a great city, and I think great cities are inclusionary.”
“Inclusionary” obviously means including Jewish holiday symbols, Hindu holiday symbols, and made-up holiday (Kwanzaa) symbols, but excluding traditional Christian holiday symbols.
Banjo
I predict historians will wonder why people at the time didn’t recognize the deadliness of the political correctness virus. Its symptomology includes aggressive secularism that hollows out the institutions that bind a society together — family, tradition, custom and so on — and substitutes multiculturalism in the belief all things are equal.
Seth Anthony
I’d recommend that you read the recommendation of the task force, posted online at http://www.fcgov.com/holidaydisplay/ . We aren’t excising Christmas from Fort Collins’ holiday displays. Unforunately, the media hasn’t covered the ways in which Christmas is included in our recommendations — in our primary multicultural educational display at the Fort Collins Museum, and in displays in the interior of city buildings. We chose to recommend white lights, winter symbols, and greenery, as part of our recommendations for the exterior of city buldings because we felt that they were unifying, but we also wanted to deliberately include and recognize the many celebrations that occur in the community, including Christmas. I’m also happy to answer any questions you might have.
— Seth
Chas S. Clifton
My cousin sits on the Fort Collins City Council, and I cannot imagine *him* voting for the proposal.
www.christmasforallofus.info » Red & Green Christmas Lights Banned in Fort Collins, Colorado
[…] JDZ placed an observative post today on Red & Green Christmas Lights Banned in Fort Collins, Colorado.Here’s a quick excerpt:A special task force in a Colorado city has recommended banning red and green lights at the Christmas holiday because they fall among the items that are too religious for the city to sponsor. “Some symbols, even though the Supreme Court … […]
rftmom
I would think that in this day and time, that there would be far more important things to worry about other than red and green Christmas lights. There are homeless people, senior citizens that need help with their prescriptions and other things, there are children who don’t have food in their tummies, this list could be endless. I just wish that people would spend as much time worrying about important issues instead of wasting time and money on stupidity!!!!
Steve Bauman
Not only are there many more important things to be concerned with, but it seems that we are imposing more and more rules on ourselves every day. I’m neither Christian nor religious, but I always enjoy the colorful sights and sounds of the holidays [Holy Days?]
Ms. Tuohy
What are they going to do with the Friggen’ traffic lights? – So this
means I can run red lights now, if I am not a Christian and don’t be
lived in the meaning of Red and Green? What if you are color blind? You could be displaying these offensive colors without
even knowing it. What if your school colors are Red and Green – do
you go naked to the football games so no one will be upset that you
are forcing these religious hues on the fans? And since Blue and
White can be considered “Jewish” holiday colors, what color are you going to paint
the cop cars? Can’t paint them black and white, cause them be prison
colors, and that means you are saying something against them poor
unfortunate people who just happened to get caught breaking the law,
especially those jail birds who are there because they decorated their
house with red and green lights.
harold counts
the bible said that we know that we all shall stand before the judgement seat of christ to give an account of his actions in this body. would you want to stand before Jesus after you so arrogantely spit in his eye?no where in the constitution does say that there is supposed to be a seperation of church and state, thats aclu athistic anti God lies . the constitution says we have freedom OF religion ,not freedom from religion. the continental congress bought bibles with gov. money to give to the children in schools. does that sound like they were agnostic? how silly our leaders have become. they have to much idle time on their hands.ben franklin said in his writings that the constitution can survive only by being adminstered by christian people.even the congressional building was used for church and prayer meetings where the politicians came and read the bible and had prayer meetings ,does this sound like they were against religion?if you want to know why America is being destroyed you only need to read Psalms 9 17 in the bible . David said the wicked shall be Cast into hell and all nations that forget GOD. the aclu and athiest have set this nation on a course thats going to lead to it’s total destruction. why would the comments be moderated? to remove anything that you disagree with?
Heather
This task force is so stupid! Lets go to Iran or any other country
and protest that they can’t celebrate there religous holidays becuase they might have christians or other people who live their and it might offend them. American is supposed to be a christain nation but we have people like this “task force” that don’t fear God and want to take Christ out of everything. Next they will be telling us that we can’t decorate our houses with christmas decorations because it offends our neighbors. PLEASE EVERYONE FROM FORT COLLINS GET OUT AND VOTE ON THIS ISSUE. First it starts out as just light then what?
Jennifer Beasley
If Fort Collins allows this travesty to occur, I will not do any shopping in that city as long as this continues. I realize I am only one person, but if others feel the way I do, then maybe the masses will protest enough to make people think about the stupidity of this proposal.
Marie
I’ve always loved Colorado. . .but I’d never move to Fort Collins. Not now anyway.
This “Task Force” doesn’t seem to be embodied with intellegent people. I think they should be reminded how our forefathers established our Country. It was established on the basis of Christian principals and beliefs!
Seems like the least of the minorities speak for the majority of the people these days. . .where’s the common sense in that???? WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!
I have no sympathy for people like this and I have one firm belief. . .If someone doesn’t like what our country is based on, by all means they should just LEAVE!
Kate B.
– I live here, I’m a Christian who celebrates Christmas, and the white lights are actually very lovely. If you’ve seen them, they are strung all over College Street (the main street), and they sort of glisten when the wind hits the trees. Personally the lights symbolize the spirit of Christmas a lot better to me: the holiday season is a time to think of others; the lights are less distracting towards the more-commercial attributes of the holiday and remind us that the spirit is still there in a much less ostentatious way. If it really bothers you that much that there is no nativity scene on city property, decorate your houses. Go out of your way to make your churches look beautiful, because we were given the right to celebrate freedom of religion by our country, and how lucky we are to be able to do that within our own separate faiths! In this day and age, political correctness is unavoidable and if the city were to allow everyone to decorate their property with the symbols from each individual faith- be it the Winter Solstice, or Kwanzaa- this would in turn cause others to behave much more “tasteless” than those simple white lights.
Do youj women find 'ho ho ho' to be offensive? - Page 2 - AllDeaf.com
[…] Never Yet Melted » Red & Green Christmas Lights Banned in Fort Collins, Colorado here ya go Tousi. more WorldNetDaily: Christmas carols banned, but Hanukkah songs OK Wal-Mart Bans "Merry Christmas" – Associated Content […]
StWOC
Luckily the folks of Ft. Collins have come to their senses.
They’re tracking the story at http://www.StopTheWarOnChristmas.com also.
Jennifer Mc Horse
I support Fort Collins!!!! And as a COlorado native, I must say I’m glad that people are so disturbed by this refreshing and considerate act that they won’t be moving there. God, that is the last thing we all in CO need are more CRAZY bible beaters i and closed minded idiots !
Also HO, HO, HO, has been around for a long time and it has always had a positive and joyful meaning until undeucated and ignorant males (women also perpetuate the derogatory use)both balck and white, began to use the term “Ho” to disrespect and undermine women. Santa Clause didn’t disrespect women- rather men and women disrespect women.
But we must respect the sanctity of FREEDOM OF SPEECH. AND WE CAN”T GO AROUND BANNING STUFF WE DON”T LIKE BECUASE THAT REDUCES OUR PRECIOUS FREEDOM AS AMERICANS!
MY FINAL POINT IS: THERE “NEEDS” AND I STRESS THE WORK “NEEDS”, TO BE A SEPERATION BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE! AND THAT IS WHY I AGREE WITH FORT COLLINS.
THE FORT COLLINS SITUATION IS ENCOURAGING FREEDOM
tHE BANNING OF HO, HO, HO IS A PROPOSAL TO RESTRICT FREEDOM OF SPEECH.
Jennifer Mc Horse
I LOVE AMERICA.
I LOVE COLORADO
I LOVE FREEDOM
Jennifer Mc Horse
HAPPY HOLIDAYS ;)
David Lambertson
The foolishness of it all is the notion that if Christmas is celebrated, then other holidays, faiths, and beliefs are excluded somehow. There is no problem, I presume, with people who want to celebrate other holidays doing so. I believe that a simple poll should be done to find out approximate percentages of different holiday preferences, then al;locate funds and space accordingly. then the (I’ll bet) 90 percent plus of people who would like to see traditional Christmas decorations would see them, and others would see theirs also, in proportion. One small note: there is NO “separation of church and state” in the constitution. The constitution merely forbids an official state religion. Look it up. The Constitution and many, many other documents written by the founding fathers calls upon God to guide us and mentions God as being the giver of rights, etc. Again, read the document rather than listening to our liberal judges and left wing media, and the truth may amaze you.
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