Seattle Rabbi = Scrooge

The Seattle airport recently removed all of its Christmas decorations after a local Rabbi complained that Christmas decorations unfairly represented the majority of travelers.  I have no problem with an airport using decorations that support the many ways to celebrate the season.  Why can’t we have a Menorah in the windows of the baggage claim?  What about a yule log for for all of the Wiccan/neo-pagan types?  Why can’t we have Kwanzaa decorations, whatever they may be? Our country, for better or worse, is a pluralistic one.  We are one of the leading nations in the world because we work together despite our differences. 

While I think the Rabbi was little better than an attention-seeking-politically-correct-whinebag, I think the airport officials should have embraced the opportunity to celebrate our diversity.  Instead, we are left we an angry majority who have to face the dreary days of holiday travel without the traditional little touches that make things a little more pleasant.  The Rabbi’s lawyer (and who could imagine a Rabbi without a lawyer?) has indicated that it was never the intention of his client to have the airport remove the trees.  He simply wanted to be included. Whatever.  Add tattle-tale to my long, hyphenated adjective in the first sentence.

It’ll be interesting when the Rabbi stands before St. Peter.  The conversation might go something like this:

St. Pete:  Uh…hmm.  Why should we let you in, again?
Rabbi:  I’m a good Jew!
St. Pete:  Well…you certainly missed the boat on the whole Christ died for your sins thing. 
Rabbi:  I got the Seattle airport to take down the Christmas trees!  I did you guys a favor by helping the people remember that Christmas isn’t about the commercialism–it’s about the birth of your, *ahem*, I mean, our Savior.
St. Pete:  So you’re telling me that you were trying to help the Christians of Seattle by removing a modern-day symbol of Christmas?
Rabbi:  Precisely! 
St. Pete:  It says here that you own a side business, supplying low-cost Menorahs to public organizations.
Rabbi:  Oh really?
St. Pete:  Yes.  Were you, perhaps, trying to make a quick buck selling out your religion?
Rabbi:  Hey!  You’re Jewish, too!
St.  Pete:  Jew, Gentile…whatever.  Anyway, I never sold the grail to Pontius Pilate to feed the disciples.  I think you should take the elevator over there. 
Rabbi:  There’s only a down button!
St. Pete:  Oh, really?  Your brother must have had the contract for building it.