This is one of those stories in which each reader can choose the villain, depending on one's philosophical predilection.
All nine Christmas trees have been removed from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport instead of adding a giant Jewish menorah to the holiday display as a rabbi had requested.
[. . .]
"We decided to take the trees down because we didn't want to be exclusive," said airport spokeswoman Terri-Ann Betancourt. "We're trying to be thoughtful and respectful, and will review policies after the first of the year."
[. . .]
After consulting with lawyers, port staff believed that adding the menorah would have required adding symbols for other religions and cultures in the Northwest. The holidays are the busiest season at the airport, Betancourt said, and staff didn't have time to play cultural anthropologists.
You can blame the rabbi for demanding equal treatment. Or you can blame the airport for choosing not to be inclusive. This isn't about church and state, since both the Christmas tree and, increasingly, the menorah are more symbols of a secular nature than a religious one. I think the lack of good will in this incident is sufficient to be passed around. The rabbi threatens a lawsuit and is "horrified" at the outcome? But that "cultural anthropologist" crack as just a little snippy.
