Monday, December 21, 2009

No Parades Allowed for Christmas (a National Holiday)

In Amelia, Ohio, the town had planned to hold a Christmas parade. Is that controversial? One might not think it's an odd thing to hold a parade for a national holiday, but one might be wrong. The town canceled the parade because they worried about possible lawsuits and protests. According to the news article, the cancellation was not due to actual lawsuits and protests, merely the worry that there might be some.

So I guess that means the groups that protest any public recognition of Christmas have one a battle. They don't have to lift a finger in this case; they don't have to spend a dime on legal expenses; their goal was met because of the intimidation factor created by numerous threats and lawsuits previously in other venues.

But it seems the parade will go on after all. A private group stepped to sponsor the parade. I don't have a problem with a private running it, but I certainly have a problem with a town not feeling able to hold a parade on a national holiday. If I lived there I might stop by City Hall on Friday, Dec. 25th to complain. But, wait... somehow I think no one will be working there on that holiday. So it's OK to close town offices but not to hold a parade.

This leads me to realize that we should also not have official celebrations in towns across the USA for Presidents' Day. After all, the two birthdays combined to make this holiday originally were for men who regularly invoked God during official events. There must be a problem with that holiday. And how about St. Patrick's Day parades? Boston better cancel theirs so no one things the city is establishing a religion by celebrating for a SAINT.

Read more about the Ohio story here:
Christmas parade canceled in Ohio back on

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