Fort Collins

Holiday Lights Update – the public speaks

Jeromey Balderrama

I know I’ve been hitting on this topic quite a bit lately, but with this going on in my back yard I can’t help but comment.  Bethany clued me in on this latest story on the latest developments and the current version of the Holiday Lights policy.  Apparently the policy has evolved to now include input from City Council members, as well as from public input.  In the new policy, the “white lights only” has now expanded to allow colored lights and Christmas tree displays on the outside of buildings.

Apparently the spokesperson from the task force objects to people outside of the task force offering input. 

From the Coloradoan:

“My primary concern is that the (hybrid) recommendation includes aspects that were neither in the original policy nor the task force recommendation,” task force spokesman Seth Anthony said. “I am concerned that some of the things were not thought all the way through and carefully (vetted) like the task force recommendations were.”

Awwww, is the ACLU guy upset that the public can’t be circumvented in the vocal minority’s attempt to promote their own agenda?

Anthony, who acknowledged the task force recommendations may not be directly in line with what a majority of the community favors, said the city’s hybrid policy risks being too restrictive, not inclusive, by its wording.

I do find myself agreeing with Anthony in one part: I think the modified indoor-building policies, which state that only secular decorations may be used is too limiting.  My hope is that at the meeting tonight they’ll defer back to the “manager’s discretion” indoor policy, while maintaining an expansive outdoor policy.  Should be an interesting meeting tonight.

More on the FC Holiday Lights Issue

Jeromey Balderrama

Follow up on the Holiday Lights news – glad to see that common sense still is present here in Fort Collins:

From Slapstick Politics:

“Fort Collins is becoming more like the imbecilic borough of Boulder than many would like to admit, where social agendas substitute for common sense”–Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden

Looks like some Fort Collins City Council members are coming out of the woodwork and proclaiming they will vote this down when it goes to the Council for a vote. The best part is that Sheriff Alderden is staging a bit of a protest, inviting Fort Collins citizens to come decorate the Christmas Tree on the lawn of their office.

Here’s the money quote:

“There’s such a thing as religious tolerance, but you can be tolerant without excluding the majority, and that seems to be the road we’re heading down,” Alderden said. “We respect people of other faiths and religions. We respect other people’s right to have their opinions, but don’t ask Christians to hide their faith.”

Amen.

Ch****mas in Fort Collins, the PC version

Jeromey Balderrama

I got a newsletter that came in my email this afternoon, highlighting that a US city creates a “Holiday Display Taskforce”.  That headline gave me a sour feeling, and sure enough as I kept reading, I saw that this newsletter from a National radio program was talking about my hometown, Fort Collins, CO.

From the Coloradoan:

“What the task force tried to accomplish was to craft holiday displays to celebrate our commonality and also to recognize the diversity of winter holidays celebrated by members of the community and to create a festive atmosphere during the winter season,” said Seth Anthony, one of the spokesmen for the task force.

Wow, what a nice PC statement to ring you into the Christm-eerrrr-winter season.  Oh and Seth Anthony is from the ACLU, glad to see them hard at work here in Fort Collins.

The article reads a little confusing, but here is the gist I got from the proposed guidelines:

  • First off, trees on the “Holiday” display at the museum can only have white lights and non-religious displays (probably can’t even put a star at the top), and there will be some display that encompasses all the religious, and even the non-religious displays – just a big PC festival.
  • City buildings can only have white lights and some “winter” symbols.
  • And if the inside of the city office wants to decorate, they should incorporate aspects from at least 3 different religions, or non-religious displays.

Give me a break!  Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about tolerance but this “all inclusion” effort is pretty much the opposite of that.  To make it a point to make sure no one is offended, you’ve watered everything down so that these displays signify nothing.  The thing that confuses me most is the “white lights only” thing.  Heaven forbid that we have colored lights on our trees!  This is political correctness at it’s worst, and it’s a shame that this is the reason Fort Collins is making headlines.