December 11, 2006

  • It's simply astonishing how often people set events in motion without having a clue what they're doing; most frequently this is due to having no understanding of how other people, or organizations, react to various stimuli.

    Case in point is a rabbi up in the Seattle area who wrote to the Sea-Tac airport, demanding a big menorah be put up alongside the airport's traditional Christmas trees, and threatening to sue if it wasn't done.

    Who all thinks there's a menorah gracing the Sea-Tac airport?  Who thinks the airport now looks about as festive as it normally does in March?

    Bingo.  Instead of erecting the menorah, the airports yanked the trees, which any buffoon should have seen coming.  Except the rabbi and his attorney, of course.  They are exhibiting Shock and Bewilderment at the airport's unreasonable response to their perfectly reasonable request.

    Seattle airport removes Christmas trees

    What the rabbi doesn't get is there's nothing overtly Christian about Christmas trees.  Vast numbers of unChristian households regularly deck their halls with them, hang stockings, string lights outside, etc.  It's hard to imagine anyone but a Jew displaying a menorah, though.  Had the Seattle airport had a nativity scene up, well, then the rabbi would have had a legitimate gripe.  As it was, though, he should have just piped down if he truly did not prefer to see the trees removed unless his menorah was put up.