Dear Lou Dobbs: an ass by any other name still smells like ass

[sui generis]

This week we were treated to the spectacle of an easily offended and highly offensive rabbi who walked into an airport, gazed upon Christmas trees all around him and suddenly was overwhelmed with an immense, and apparently irresistible, urge to sue the management of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport because nowhere among all the Christmas trees was a single menorah. Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement of Seattle even delivered to the airport's management a draft of a lawsuit he would file if they didn't sprinkle menorahs around the Christmas trees.

You know Lou, first you have to get the story right. Do that first. The rabbi asked to be included. Some kneejerk assbrain such as yourself immediately got all huffy and decided to make a statement out of a grand gesture in typical freeper fashion, and then you came along and tried to make some hay out it.

This isn't about political correctness you pompous overinflated bag of overwrought flab.

In fact, "political correctness" seems to be the exclusive province of schoom marms and neocons; the rest of us normal people have some sense of right and wrong and manage to get through the day without all the outrage you guys seem to thrive on.

I am reminded of a Star Trek episode where Abe Lincoln comes on the Enterprise and addresses Uhura as a "Negress", and then apologizes for it. Uhura responds with greatest grace, "Mr. Lincoln, in these times we aren't afraid of words any more."

Lou, you are correct in one thing. Merry Christmas is just a wish for a bit of happiness at this season, not a call to faith, nor a call to proselytize or hurt someone else's faith. But in that process, as long as you and your kind continue to beat us over the head with "judeo-christian" references, you might at least consider acknowledging that other faiths have holy days at this time of year as well. That's all - it has nothing to do with politics or correctness.

Just respect.

[Mad_Dem_X]

1. Well said! n/t

[rocktivity]

2. The airport is the real culprit--why wasn't there a menorah in the first place?

Why didn't it occur to them that ignoring Hanukkah just MIGHT make them look bad? The official explanation is that they didn't want to waste workers' time adding symbols of all the other holidays--all two of them. But they had time to take down the trees AND put them back up--a Christmas miracle indeed. And NOW they're trying to play "Blame the Jew?"

There's a holiday display in my company's cafeteria with a christmas tree, menorah, and bowl of fruit to represent Kwanzaa. No problem. In fact, it's why I prefer "Happy holidays" to "Merry Christmas"--it doesn't excludes Christians, it includes everyone.

:mad:
rocknation

[Nikki Stone1]

4. Nothing for Solstice? Or does the tree count twice?

:D

[rocktivity]

5. Never get married on Dec. 21

It's the shortest night of the year!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Cleita]

10. I'll bet they forgot the mistletoe for the druids. n/t

[Big Sky Boy]

9. Yeah... Some real Christian Soldiers

Holding the line in the "War on Christmas."

I am so tired of these people, who have basically been in charge of everything for the past 15 centuries, whining about their "persecution." -- Which, as far as I can tell means they are just upset about the fact they have to tolerate other cultures.

Imagine the ridicule Nero would have endured if he had said

"Those darn Christians keep persecuting us. They keep saying nasty things about our Pantheon--and now with this 'War on Saturnalia.' Well you'll never hear me say 'Happy Holidays' to include them and their silly little Christmas. This is a pagan nation founded on pagan principles. It's Happy Saturnalia or you don't get my business and if they don't like it they can go back to Palestine."

[Bill McBlueState]

36. That's right, it's Happy Saturnalia!

And more importantly, we must remember the true reason for the season and keep Saturn in Saturnalia.

[Pyrzqxgl]

19. I'm not sure a Christmas Tree is a Christian symbol?

seems lovingly wintery and pagan to me. And Santa is "a right jolly old elf" (no elves in the Bible that I know about)

[shadowknows69]

34. Ding ding ding

we have a winner. Christmas itself is crafted from a hodge podge of old pagan symbols, dates, customs etc etc. The whole point of it being on the 25th was so the ancient church could lead some of the "country folk" who were content to do their own thing in the solstice festivals (20th-23rd approximately) to the path of the big J.

[Jack from Charlotte]

28. Or why didn't they just (quietly) put one up. That would have ended the story.. (nfm)

*

[sui generis]

30. exactly - but they assumed the crash position

and prepared to be "persecuted, PERSECUTED" I tell ya.

Sheesh, and Lou Dobbs just played right along because that's the way the wind was blowing that day.

[waiting for hope]

3. K&R!

:thumbsup:

[melm00se]

6. its about

a fucking tree.

What's the matter? All the problems above this on the list have been crossed off and resolved?

[matcom]

7. ....

:applause:

[BurtWorm]

8. I want to add the sound of my hands clapping to Matcom's.

:applause:

[bvar22]

11. If someone wants a Menorah ....

If someone wants a Menorah displayed at a public place, perhaps they should donate one.
If the display is tasteful and in balance with other seasonal displays, it would have a good chance of being exhibited. Most administrations of facilities that cater to the public are more than happy to receive assistance with their seasonal displays and other decorations. They are usually happy to let the donor place a small advertisement on their display.

Proactive diplomacy and creative assertiveness in these situations will go farther than filing a lawsuit.

[sui generis]

13. were the Christmas trees donated?

just curious if they were on SeaTac budget or otherwise.

At any rate, a lawsuit isn't always about money. Sometimes a law suit just gets the law addressed to bring about change, not to get a settlement.

I doubt the Rabbi intended money as the outcome of threatening a lawsuit, and Lou knows that too, but he chose to perpetuate a falsehood so he could granstand.

For a moment, I thought Mr. Dobbs was coming back around by at least pretending to be a populist, but now I realize he's just the same old unwarranted arrogant self-serving blustering ass he's always been.

[thingfisher]

20. Let's face it...

Christmas is economically more important than any of the other holidays of the season. If Hannukah spending or Kwanzaa spending or solstice spending was in the same caregory there would be Menorrahs, mistletoe, fruit bowls, etc. prominently displayed to entice the targeted consumer group to part with their money.

The Christians still lead the pack in spending so I guess the symbols of their holidasy trump the others. It's the economy stupid.

[sui generis]

22. if it's just about the economy stupid then we'd still have slaves

We do rise above economy on occasion out of higher principle.

I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not - but the "holidays" are a cultural phenom first. The economy followed on that, not the other way around. We don't have "Happy Economy Day" and big family get togethers and gift exchanges because we exceeded some consumer spending goal . . . .

[thingfisher]

23. Gotta start using that sarcasm thingy.

[sui generis]

12. the original Uhura quote, from my secret santa

Lincoln: What a charming Negress. Oh, forgive me, my dear. I know in my time some used that term as a description of property.

Uhura: But why should I object to that term, sir? In our century, we've learned not to fear words.

And as my SO says, "I wish we lived in a world that Roddenberry had created. He had far more faith in humanity than we do."

[Ishoutandscream2]

14. I know there are some here who like Dobbs

But I believe his whole premise about illegal immigration has ties to racial bigotry. I don't think he would have a problem with illegal immigration if the main culprits were white Canadians.

He is the prototype Republican. There's not a populist bone in his body.

[sui generis]

16. well, he started as an economist

then as a trickle-down and free-market apologist, then migrated to punditry, then had a third helping of koolaid.

I don't understand how one can consider one's self a scientist in the discipline of economics and take a political stance that views consumers and wage earners with different standards.

The first place trickle down serves is investors, and the first place giant profit margins are made are in outsourcing, squelching fair pay, organized labor, and labor laws in general, and in legally reducing benefits to your workforce.

Free market economists think utopia is a place where you don't have to pay your employees yet they somehow magically buy all your product. To revert and claim to be a populist after hanging his finger out in the populist wind was as disingenuous as all his other stances, much less his overblown, overpaid punditry.

[bvar22]

17. Lou Dobbs is one of the very few TV "pundits"....

who staunchly and openly opposes "Free Trade". Every show devotes a segment to the "War on the Middle Class". Whether or not you think he is sincere doesn't matter. He IS getting the word OUT! I disagree with Lou Dobbs on some issues, but NOT on Free Trade, or the influence of Corporate Dollars on the crowd in DC. I wish the Democratic Party was as vocal in their opposition to run-away Corporatism.

[sui generis]

18. he has arrived at that party only after asking directions

Early Dobbs was pro Free Trade. Now he has said he's recanted and come around, but if he's going to be an economist or a commentator on the economy then he should stick to that.

He is a blow hard; and his stance on Sea Tac and the language he used to try to condemn this rabbi betrays the real Lou Dobbs.

You're right, it doesn't matter what I think. But I'm not the only one who can see how desperately Lou Dobbs is trying to refashion himself in the latest fair-weather friend line. He had an opinion about this Rabbi that was wrong because said the Rabbi himself was unlikeable, and because he implied the only outcome of lawsuit is a monetary settlement, meaning he's a fear mongering bigot.

So it doesn't matter to me whatever else Dobbs thinks. And I am not alone in distrusting the guy.

[joefree1]

24. No worries, Lou's message will survive the cherry picking

... from elistist on all sides.

A decorated tree is not a religious symbol.

And I agree with his taking issue on illegal imigration and free trade. It's about over population not rascism.

[sui generis]

26. He started the article off with an oblique attack on political correctness

this elitist thinks Dear Lou is a fraud and that he furthermore doesn't give a sincere half crap about populism. I think he just wants to keep his job so he'll say populist if that's the direction the wind is blowing.

My issue was his mischaracterization of the rabbi; so cherry picking or not that performance had several sour notes. He's a jerk, always has been a dollar late and a day short.

[ComerPerro]

32. he is using you, and pandering to you, and you just eat it up, don't you?

[bvar22]

37. *

"Every one has a plan...Until you hit them in the mouth." --Mike Tyson

[w4rma]

15. Now, that is an example of bigotry. (nt)

[rodeodance]

21. I hope you sent this to him.

[Philosoraptor]

25. he can't hide his hatred of Mexicans

[Quantess]

27. Sorry, but, don't airports have better things to do,

than being inclusive to everyone's religious holiday?
It's an AIRPORT. Where people get on planes.

[sui generis]

29. if the airport charges you an airport fee and this is in budget

then it should be inclusive.

You're right, if it shouldn't be inclusive of all then it should be inclusive of none. That IS what you meant right?

Anyway, how freaking hard would it have been to do the right thing to start with? It seems to me like so-called christians are the only ones "waging war" on christmas.

[Quantess]

33. What I meant was, airports don't need holiday displays at all,

if they can't include everyone. I think it was right for the airport to take down the Christmas trees, once they were reminded that people of other religions would threaten to sue, instead of going ahead and expanding the decorations, and adding an all inclusive display of winter holidays in the airport lobby. If people are going to sue the airport over holiday decorations, then the airport shouldn't bother to decorate for religious / cultural holidays at all.

Edit to add: That's what I would do if I were threatened with a lawsuit over it.

[sui generis]

35. well we commonly mistake lawsuit for "big settlement"

many lawsuits just change the law or demand a judicial interpretation. We're so conditioned to think of "tobacco settlement" outcomes that we forget someone can "sue" by hearing to have a seasonal display be more inclusive.

I have to agree though, seasonal decorations should not be in the airport budget. They could use that money to pay their employees a better living wage or to have more employees and security booths to help traffic move more efficiently so that it doesn't take us eight hours at the airport to travel two hours by air.

Really, it should have just come down to the airport board evaluating how best to use their budget to serve the consumer, not seasonal cultural notions, and even with donated materials they should have just been a little more generous in their thinking about this situation and this would never even have made the news.

[ComerPerro]

31. Lou Dobbs and Bill OReiley may as well be the same person, far as I'm concerned