Thread: CO: Hark! Old-time yule will stay

denver and the west
Hark! Old-time yule will stay
By Monte Whaley
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 11/21/2007 01:31:17 AM MST


FORT COLLINS — — This city will not be remembered as the one that booted Christmas, City Council members said Tuesday night.

The council voted 6-1 to ignore ideas from a city task force that called for an "inclusive" holiday celebration that would replace traditional colored lights with only white lights on the outside of city buildings.

Instead, the council said old-time Christmas symbols — wreaths, decorated trees and colored lights — will remain next to city buildings. A new multicultural display, however, will be erected at the city's museum.

Mayor Doug Hutchinson said Fort Collins earned a Grinchlike reputation because of the task force's suggestions to de-emphasize Christmas during the holidays.

"This will probably have a residual effect on the city," Hutchinson said. "But this is still a great, inclusive city."

More than 40 residents spoke out against the Holiday Display Task Force's recommendations — which included using only white lights, secular winter symbols and unadorned garlands of greenery on city buildings.

The all-volunteer task force, which included clergy, had called for an emphasis on multicultural displays and an overall celebration of the winter season rather than a particular holiday.

Many who took turns at the microphone during a two-hour public hearing Tuesday night criticized the task force's recommendations as diminishing Christmas.

"Basically, the city subtly . . . removed Christmas and replaced it with a pagan holiday called the winter holiday," said resident Jerry Nettles. "I don't celebrate winter."

The task force got national media attention, especially from conservative commentators such as Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, who derided the ideas.

Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden also challenged the task force, saying he would erect a Christmas tree outside the sheriff's administration building on Dec. 1 and inviting residents to decorate it with Christmas symbols.

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_7520491

All of this to satisfy about 40 people? How stupid. I'm glad to see more and more people tell these anti-Christmas idiots to shut up. We've had enough of the PC era.

RIDICULOUS. IN USA WE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS. ANYONE WHO IS OFFENDED CAN LEAVE DURING THAT TIME OF YEAR....OR LEAVE ALTOGETHER. THE JEWISH POPULATION HAS NEVER BEEN OFFENDED BY THIS AND THEY HAVE BEEN HERE MANY YEARS. THEY JUST WENT AHEAD AND CELEBRATED THE WAY THEY WANTED TO, BUT THEY LEFT CHRISTMAS IN TACT. WE RESPECTED THEM AND THEY RESPECTED US. IT WORKED OUT GREAT.