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Massachusetts FD Ordered to Remove Merry Christmas Sign
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - An annual "Merry Christmas" sign on a North Andover fire station has been ordered removed.
Town officials told firefighters last week to take down the homemade sign after they said people complained.
Fire Chief William Martineau said Monday that the sign was made by firefighters about 50 years ago and never had been an issue before.
The order comes a week after selectmen voted to allow a menorah display on the town common for only one day instead of all eight days of Hanukkah. They said a new town common policy only allows displays to stay up for one day, no matter what they are.
Town Manager Mark Rees said the town's public buildings should not be displaying things specific to a particular religion.
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Information from: Eagle Tribune, http://www.eagletribune.com
Related
Bah! Humbug!: Town outlaws Merry Christmas sign
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Fire Chief William Martineau said Monday that the sign was made by firefighters about 50 years ago and never had been an issue before.
The order comes a week after selectmen voted to allow a menorah display on the town common for only one day instead of all eight days of Hanukkah. They said a new town common policy only allows displays to stay up for one day, no matter what they are.
Town Manager Mark Rees said the town's public buildings should not be displaying things specific to a particular religion.
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Information from: Eagle Tribune, http://www.eagletribune.com
Related
Bah! Humbug!: Town outlaws Merry Christmas sign
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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I prefer what my very good Hindu friend says, "My god can beat up your god."
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Permalink Reply by Scott on
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Paul,
thanks for your feelings to keep Christ in Christmas. After all this is His holiday no matter who you are or how anyone feels. Sorry if you feel otherwise, but I can definitely see where many blow this out of proportion, and its retarded! We have life for one reason, so can't we keep one holiday for Him? And Paul, if you need any money, I'll give you my whole banking account to help those who wish not to participate, out!
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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After all this is His holiday no matter who you are or how anyone feels. Sorry if you feel otherwise, but I can definitely see where many blow this out of proportion, and its retarded!
So what about the people that don't believe in Christianity? You do realize many of the symbols and decorations used for Christmas originate from pagan religions? You do realize the Christmas tree is not a Christian symbol, nor yule log and so forth? You do realize while Christmas is the observed holiday that there are other holidays observed by other religions during the month of Dec?
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Permalink Reply by Shawn on
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Yes, the Rabbi was justifiably upset about that but he also said that he saw nothing wrong with the Merry Christmas either.
And...the whole culture of political correctness is bullshit! It's a disease that has been steadfastly eroding the traditions of this country. It's all about being "fair"... Please! People are going to get hurt feelings. So why do I (or anyone else)have to give in to the beliefs (or lack of) the "minority" (meaning numbers)? (Sorry no Jeffersonian quote to give you) Why after hundreds of years is it not acceptable?
G'head Jack & company, call me a name, tell me I'm being insensitive or intolerant...am I illustrating your point too? MERRY CHRISTMAS!
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Jack,
I've noticed and it is amazing the ones confusing their own personal freedoms with something displayed publicly on public property. The removal of the sign is not stifling one's PERSONAL freedoms, nor beliefs, but accepting that there are people out there who don't share the same beliefs. Should their beliefs and freedoms be stifled for the majority? I again go back to my post about a more controversial religion and if they decided to display their message and symbols on public property, what type of uproar that would create, but many can't see that issue.
I also agree with the religious aspect of this issue and I am curious as to how many upset with the removal of the sign and the outcry about freedoms actually attend church regularly??
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Permalink Reply by Marty Rutledge on
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Fire Departments are heavy with tradition, and a 50 year old handmade sign has many stories to offer, I'm sure. It's a simple sign. The sign has no power to offend: you have to look at it and formulate some offense, yourself. Truly, if you look at the basic message, the sign is saying no more than, "Have a nice day." From the outside looking in, it seems very childish. I deal with a whole realm of political correctness on a daily basis that is offensive to me, but I do just that: I DEAL WITH IT! The selectmen need to be held accountable.
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So Shawn,
For hundreds of years slaverly was also accepted, hell many founding fathers owned slaves, should we not still have slavery then if it was accepted for hundreds of years?
As for name calling, if you read through the posts you will see the only one called names was the person disagreeing with the majority. Hmmmm
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Permalink Reply by kreng on
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PROVOCATION N WANT TO BE FAMOUS.......lets think about FFN before n todays...
SELAMAT HARI NATAL n GREATEST FAMILY to all of you FFN brothers n sisters..
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Shawn, yes you are/do illustrate the point. To hyperbolize separation of church and state (which is what the overarching issue is about) as a disease is absurd. Go look up your precious traditions. The pilgrims banned celebration of xmas as being pagan. I suspect they were far more religious than you and they saw no reason to celebrate it.
Shawn I haven't called anyone a name here, which is more than can be said of a couple who have called me names but then, you wouldn't know that as you don't bother to read anything that you already agree with.
You can call it political correctness and you can dismiss it as eroding your personal rights but that is not the case nor was it the case in north andover. You mention the rabbi and his comment which was indeed factual but you then veer off to the same area as many others have.
The merry xmas sign would have stayed up all holiday season, all the rabbi wanted was 8 days on town property to display the menorah. When he was told he (and all others) could only have 1 day each he felt it unfair that the sign could remain on town property indefinitely but his menorah only for one day. That indeed is 'unfair' and it shows preferential treatment.
As for hurt feelings, I get a strong impression that you and many others in here have gotten their feelings hurt the most. I don't think you're insensitive or intolerant (well perhaps a bit of the latter) but I don't think that you've approached this with an open mind either. And minds are like parachutes, they only work when they're open.
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K,
I think for that list it would be Mr. Garrison's xmas song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3KvKfxiZj0
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"...Only work when they're open..." Wow that's catchy!
Actually, I don't have hurt feelings, I am sick of all of it! I don't feel that my personal rights and freedoms have been infringed upon (yet), but I do not have to agree and I do have the right to state my opposition. Ok, maybe you didn't directly call anyone names but, seriously, there were some comments you made that were apparently sarcastic and contemptuous and the way I read them gave ME that impression. Please correct me if I'm wrong, I can take it. As anyone who follows this string will see there were some who obviously felt the need to openly call names. Name calling isn't necessary in any "forum" and I don't believe I did so. Please don't speculate about what I have/have not read or about what I do/ do not agree with. I never said separarion of Church and State was a disease. What I said was that it was the "culture of political correctness" that was a disease. I said what I said and did not "hyperbolize" anything, please don't take my words out of context.
As for my being "perhaps a bit" intolerant...try serving in the military for 20 years like I have...if that isn't a lesson in diversity and tolerance, then I don't know what one is! Do that and see where your tolerances lie.
Peace my friend!
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