Tuesday, December 20, 2005

This Is Not A Menorah 

The image you see here accompanies newsstory ACLU Challenges Menorah Display at Capitol, a new note in an old and already-stale seasonal issue.

Since there seems to be no laws against candelabra display (yet), I figure either someone at the Nashville City Paper is in big trouble for using the wrong stock image, or the ACLU is about to find they backed the wrong horse.

Via Fark, which has 418 comments and counting, and where the stupid seems to be happening on all sides, as it is everywhere. I'm trying to stay out of stupid this year, so I'll say this once and then move on:

As long as all are both welcome and iconographically represented to a reasonable degree in a given community's spaces overall, I see no reason why a single display should be either outlawed or somehow inclusive of all other religions.

I'm proud, by the way, to have been asked to light the hannukiah at Sunday night's holiday service and potluck at our UU church on Sunday night...and to have brought the kid up to do the actual lighting, with guidance. Now that's the way to do it, folks. Thanks to our minister, who found a way to make me feel included for who I really am...and to share mutually, with family and community, in doing so.

posted by boyhowdy | 9:28 PM |

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Comments:

these days, people are just looking for something to argue about and get their names in the paper. its all a big waste of time to me. but to each his own. happy non denominational holidays to you

# posted by  Anonymous : 10:50 PM, December 20, 2005

 

he's right.

And the funny thing is this: why are people arguing so fiercly about wishing good will?

so happy everything man...

# posted by  Shaw Israel Izikson : 2:01 AM, December 22, 2005

 

whoa! you spelled Hanukkah wrong! I don't feel so bad for 25 years of misspelling that word anymore :) Thank you, dude, for inadvertadly making me feel better after years of guilt...

# posted by  Shaw Israel Izikson : 2:03 AM, December 22, 2005

 

Sorry, Shaw -- the word you're seeing here in my entry is not "Hanukkah," but "hanukkiah," which is the technical term for "that candle thing we light on Hanukkah."

That said, although I actually did not spell the word I MEANT to use with its preferred spelling, I appreciate the note.

THAT said, since this is a transliterated word -- like Hanukkah itself -- there is no "correct" spelling save in Hebrew.

# posted by  boyhowdy : 9:00 AM, December 22, 2005

 

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