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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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.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 believe that the bible is optional, as is the 'so help me god.' Which by the way has never been part of the presidential oath.
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Matt, one doesn't have to have been wronged to understand the wrong that has been done. It's called history. Excuse me if I'm an advocate for both history and fair play.
I am at a bit of lost I admit when so many people seem to think that my replies are from anger, I assure they are not. Well perhaps a bit when people persist on saying the same damn things over and over without regard for what the post was about.
Educated nerd rage...that's cute, I like that. FYI I've never said (or thought) I was perfect. I sucked at calculus (it keeps me humble). But you might just as well accuse me of being one of those damn elitists and I suspect that you have some insecurity when it comes to education, perhaps your own?
merry xmas to you, I am not afraid of a heartfelt hug and likewise wish that you stay safe as well.
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Permalink Reply by Shawn on
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"...Chairman of the Board of Selectmen and the Town Manager have granted permission to the North Andover Fire Fighters to restore their Merry Christmas sign to be displayed on the Main Street Fire Station..."
Read here:
http://www.eagletribune.com/breakingnews/local_story_336164238.html
And here:
http://www.townofnorthandover.com/Pages/NAndoverMA_EmerNews/027D023...
"...and to all a good night!!!"
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Permalink Reply by lutan1 on
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I can't beleive with all of the issues facing emergency services world wide today, that this is the most popular discussion this week on FFN....
Amazing! My inbox was chock-a-block this morning with responses to this.
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Lutan, are you really all that surprised? To me what's surprising is that the discussion never went off on what color xmas lights are best or what color swaddling clothes lil baby j wore.
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Permalink Reply by Ron Ayotte on
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Instead of exclusion.. lets do inclusion...
The atheists can put up their "atomic A", the Scientologists can put up a stature of Tom Cruise, The Christians can put up the Nativity, The jews can have their Menorah, the Hindus can have a scared cow walk on the common, the Santarians can sacrifice a chicken,the Bhuddists can can have a statue of Bhudda, The Rastafarians can smoke a spliff while listening to some Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff, and the insomniac dyslexic agnostic can stay up all night wondering if there is a Dog... etc. etc. etc.
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See! Who says prayer doesn't work?
May the great FSM bless you all with his noodley appendage, Ra men.
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Lutan, are you really all that surprised?
Well yes and no.
To me what's surprising is that the discussion never went off on what color xmas lights are best or what color swaddling clothes lil baby j wore.
It didn't go off on a tangent because the building did relate to a POV.... ;-)
Give it time- it'll go off somewhere. I thought earlier it was going down the race argument at one stage.
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Everyone knows that Baby J wore Gap Baby and Air Jordan booties from Nike.
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Permalink Reply by Derek R. on
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can I have my head back Jack? I will say whatever i wanna say, kidding or not. You need to relax your aggressive statements. I did Not put words in your mouth. Nowhere does it say that "jack says....", or "So you're saying...". I said " SEEMs like....." In other words, "As I understand it". You should maybe read a little closer yourself. I take responsibility for the whacker comment. I did NOT say those were your words.
As of the lawsuit, it was not banned. It was decided amongst whoever, that the displays only be up for 1 day. I agree that if they let the menorah stay up for the 8 days, there would be no problem.
I have not dug deeper into the situation, so I don't undersatnd why now they are having this problem. It was working before. Was this the first year that the Menorah was put where it was?
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Permalink Reply by Sally on
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The salient point that is often overlooked is that the Constitution doesn't guarantee a "freedom FROM religion", it guarantees a "freedom OF religion." meaning everyone has the right to worship as their conscience dictates without fear of government interference or threat. Apparently, the person who issued the edict doesn't understand the spirit OR letter of the law.
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