Critics angry over state ‘holiday tree’
Gov. Steve Beshear
By ROGER ALFORD – Associated Press Writer
FRANKFORT — Gov. Steve Beshear has angered some Christians with his yuletide terminology.
A giant evergreen that will brighten the Capitol lawn this winter won’t be called a Christmas tree. Instead, the Beshear administration has dubbed it a “holiday tree.”
The Rev. Jeff Fugate, pastor of Clays Mill Baptist Church in Lexington, said Christians find the change troubling.
“If you call it a holiday tree,” Fugate asked, “which holiday are you talking about? We don’t put up a holiday tree for Easter or New Year’s or Thanksgiving. We put a tree up for Christmas.”
Beshear administration spokeswoman Cindy Lanham said the tree will be in celebration of a variety of winter holidays, including Christmas and Hanukkah.
“This is a special time of the year for many Kentuckians,” she said.
The spat in Kentucky is only the latest in an ongoing Christmas debate. Some retailers, including Wal-Mart, have returned to greeting customers with “Merry Christmas” after coming under attack for directing employees to say “Happy Holidays.”
In Kentucky, political foes are using the issue to bash the Democratic governor and his administration.
“Steve Beshear in his continued swing to the left shows that political correctness is more important than Kentucky values,” said Republican Senate President David Williams of Burkesville. “It is difficult to see how anyone could take offense at the cherished tradition of Christmas at the Kentucky Capitol.”
Beshear spokeswoman Jill Midkiff said the terminology is intended to be inclusive.
“Obviously, to Governor Beshear and the first lady, who are both Christians, it is certainly a Christmas tree,” Midkiff said. “What is important is to remember what this time of year is all about – family and caring for those less fortunate.”
Using the term “holiday tree” typically is intended to avoid offending people who are not Christian, said Paul Simmons, an ethics professor at the University of Louisville. And he said “holiday tree” is the more fitting description, considering the tradition started out among pagans and was later blended into the Christian celebration of Christmas.
“It really is a more generalizable symbol,” Simmons said.
The Beshear administration sent out a public call on Monday for Kentuckians who think they might have the perfect “holiday tree” to consider donating it to the state. The solicitation called for a pyramid-shaped tree between 35 and 50 feet tall.
Sounds like a Christmas tree to Martin Cothran, spokesman for the Family Foundation of Kentucky.
“It’s the administration that stole Christmas,” Cothran said. “I think their heart is two sizes too small,” he said, quoting a line from How The Grinch Stole Christmas.
Fugate said he believes the Beshear administration has caved to political pressure.
“What’s bothersome about this is that it’s not the majority opinion,” Fugate said. “There is a groundswell of Americans who are fed up.”
About the Author: John Stamper is the accountability editor for the Lexington Herald-Leader. A native of Monticello, Ky., he has been with the Herald-Leader in a variety of roles since graduating from Western Kentucky University in 2000. Reach him at jstamper@herald-leader.com
Paul | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
What the hell are Rev. Jeff Fugate and David Williams complaining about? Who cares? With the economy in the tank and two wars going on, there are bigger fish to fry. And, as a reminder, non-Christians pay taxes too.
landshark | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
I grew up in Lexington, it is nice to see that the narrow minded small thinking people are still running Lexington. Stay in Lexington, PLEASE!
Jim | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
To Paul,
It’s a Christmas tree! You don’t like it, I’m sure Delta will be ready when you are to fly you to the country of your choice!
Paul | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
You realize the Christmas tree is pagan in origins don’t you?
LexDem | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
“Dr.” Fugate should remember the words of fellow Baptist pastor Charles Haddon Spurgeon in 1868:
“To prevent for ever the possibility of Papists roasting Protestants, Anglicans hanging Romish priests, and Puritans flogging Quakers, let every form of state-churchism be utterly abolished, and the remembrance of the long curse which it has cast upon the world be blotted out for ever.”
Ginger | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
What doesn’t offend “some Christians” anymore? They look for ways to be offended.
kyinthknow | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Here’s an idea – how about doing away with the tree altogether – that way you won’t offend anyone – and save money on the electricity bill to boot!
Adam | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Jeezuz Crispies!! Offensive to Christians? How about offensive to Jews, Muslims, Hindu, Buddhists, and yes, even the Agnostics and Atheists by singling out one religion. If God and Jesus existed, they’d be rolling their eyes.
tafugate | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
rev fugate (no relation, i hope) understands the need for separation of church and state. but being ‘offended’ nowadays is a cheap way to draw attention to oneself. a tree at the capitol should be a ‘holiday’ tree. a tree at the church should be a christmas tree. how could a rational person have a problem with that?
stipes | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
For all you moron’s out there Christmas is a holiday for Christ\’s birth
If you dont like it,,,get over it…This USA is gonna die with all the sheep that gives in that trys to please everyone…
t | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Ok. Do I get a holiday break or Christmas break with the state government this year. For those who don’t celebrate Christmas, why should they be entitled to receive the same same days off? If they don’t believe, refuse them this perk. I don’t celebrate MLK day but our schools are forced to be closed. What a joke this political correctness is.
larry t | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Oh yes an early “war on christmas” story! I know christians…. you are so opressed. You and your national holidays, free postage for churches, and your free public services for your places of worship. Can anyone explain why churches do not pay property taxes??!! There are an ever growing amount of atheists, agnostics, muslims, etc. in this country that don’t appreciate your narrow views on religion stuffed down our collective throats.
Rebecca | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
If you really think about the objection, it is rather ironic. The concept of a “Christmas” tree actually originates from a Germanic pagen tradition and a 125 years ago, Christians were objecting to the whole concept of calling the thing a “Christmas” tree. It was not until the Victorian era that Christian culture truly adopted the concept as lighting a tree in late December as being a Christian concept. As a Christian, I welcome the holiday tree in Frankfort and hope that my diverse group of friends (Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Catholic, Orthadox, etc.) will join me to celebrate the holidays. Christianity is about being inclusive, not exclusive – - it was really the first religion to do so. Guess at the time, we were adopting the Goth’s tree as our own, we kinda forgot about that.
jerry | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
-NEWSFLASH-David Williams worries about values, next it will be McConnell and Big Hal wanting “values”. I agree with Paul, LexDem, Ginger, kyintheknow and tafugate posts.
miss kate | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
but that’s what it freaking is! a Christmas tree. we don’t go running around calling the menorah a Jewish candelabra. and even people that don’t celebrate Christmas because of the true meaning still call it a Christmas tree. everyone needs to quit trying to be so danged PC and not hurting people’s feelings. cheese and rice it gets old!
akbex | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Christ was born in July. This holiday is about high jacking the winter solstice from pagans.
phyre | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Grow up.
Sherman Cahal | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Please, let’s remove religion from government once and for all. There are bigger battles than the naming of the ‘holiday’ tree over the ‘christmas’ tree — a worthless battle. Are there not homeless to feed, to care of? What about our disabled veterans they could be helping? Where are their resources (e.g. the money they take from you during every Sunday) going to?
Dave Jones | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
This country was blessed so much in the beginning and thanks to people like Beshear, it’s slowly fell apart over the last 50 years or so. People continue turning their backs on God. But that’s ok because God will have the final say so. The Bible is being fulfilled.
Republican'ts Epic Fail | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
What Williams and Fugate object to is that the term is ‘inclusive.’ They cling to that unChristian value of exclusive. Beshear is on God’s side, Williams and Fugate insult God.
Bill.Smith | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Most Christian holidays are based closely to pagan holidays. This was done as an easier way to bring more pagan worshippers “into the fold”. Also by introducing some of the traditons (Christ mas trees, etc) this made the pagans more comfortable with switching religions.
Most Christians in my opinion tend to forget we do live in a seperate church and state nation. Yes, our founding fathers were of Christian beliefs (one nation under God). But they also understood that state sponsored religion made us no better than England.
My final opinion. It’s a tree. It means what you want it to mean. Don’t try to rally the troops because someone doesn’t believe the way you do. You will only push more people away as you seem shortsighted and ignorant.
John Johnson | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Jeff Fugate is a booger-eating moron who gives Christians a bad name.
Buck Feshear | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
I so love the tradition of the Thanksgiving tree.
Wait, you mean there’s no such thing?
Our family always enjoyed decorating our Hanukah tree.
There’s no such thing as one of those either?
We always thought our New Year’s tree was the prettiest on the block and we bought additional decorations for it every year.
Huh? There’s also no such thing?
It’s a CHRISTMAS tree, you tools and fools! Beshear is an absolute idiot and he makes me ashamed to be a Kentuckian. You didn’t have this nonsense taking place when Fletcher was governor. That’s why I say don’t blame me, I voted for Ernie Fletcher.
Buck Feshear | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Oh, and I wish there was some way that this story could make its way across Bill O’Reilly’s desk.
I’d pay good money to see Jill Midkiff or some other hapless stooge in the Beshear administration go on “The Factor” and get absolutely skewered by O’Reilly.
Threelinks1 | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
If there is no Christmas, then there should be no tree.
Before you slander Bro. Fugate, try getting to know the man. It is easy to say false and hurtful things about people behind the mask of anonymity.
ToTreeOrNotToTree | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
The tree will be donated – It won’t be up long enough to care – There are kids going to be hungry tonight, not in Sudan but right here – foreclosures in this nation 1 every 7 seconds – a debt our State nor our Nation can cover – and you really give a cr*p about the terminology of a tree – there will be households without a tree this year because they will have no house – did you see the story of 93 yr old Bessie May Berger in California – sleeping in a run down SUV?!?! The greed, the fraud, the deception that has overtaken this nation would make our Founding Fathers RUN back to England – RUN! Across the water without a boat! We are 200 years old and we have countries 2000 years old laughing at us as they lead us through the trenches of Pakistan – 200 year old kids who think they know everything – we have a lot of growing up to do! Bigger, Better, Best, NOW! Spoiled 200 year old kids! Atlantis here we come!
John Johnson | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
threelinks, it is also easy to say hurtful and false and blasphemous things when your name is Jeff Fugate.
July 3, 2002.
bobby | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
I can only laugh at the whole thing. Call it a holiday tree. Fine. Christmas is about Jesus. I don’t care what pc government actions are done, nothing changes the Gospel and nothing changes God’s Truth. Jesus loves each and everyone of us regardless of the tree. For those of you dissing Christians, we usually deserve since we are mucho imperfecto. Hah! Rejecting God is a whole other matter which should be taken with great seriousness. Peace.
Rick | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Jeff Fugate also is the one who spoke at the “patriotic rally” a few years ago and talked about not wanting races to intermingle in mariage and also against hispanics. I guess if you aren’t white and a christian, his beliefs are that you are not worthy of going to heaven. Talk about being unchristian!! I thought christian beliefs were to love your fellow man not to discriminate against them.
John Johnson | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Rick– that was on July 3, 2002. Exactly my point.
Daniel | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Here is an excellent example of why we live in the late great United States. We are torn apart by liberals, conservatives, christians, atheists, the left, the right, haves, have nots, Christmas tree, and holiday tree. Enough already!
Ginger | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Dave Jones, you say this country was blessed so much in the beginning. Tell that to the Native Americans and the blacks who were being held as slaves. I love my country but anyone who thinks things have taken a turn for the worse in just the last 50 years is not a deep thinker. Maybe it has taken a turn for the worse for white Christian males, but for plenty of other people there have been positive changes. This country has never been “Christian”. Some of the founding fathers didn’t even believe in the divinity of Christ yet you all go around spinning that truth into something completely different. Jefferson warned us of people like Fugate.
Tracy | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Oh, boo hoo! “I’m a christian and everything is about me, me, me.” whatever
Kamish | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Just add use of Christmas to the terms; Coal, Fag(see Larry Johnson KC Chiefs), Smoke Break, Indians, In God We Trust, to the pile of words that will get you in trouble/sued/blackballed….our PC world is only nice on the surface, go behind closed doors and see how things really are, why can’t we just be honest with one another? Grow Up cry babies, whatever happened to sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. The average person has become weak and yellow, if true hard times ever beset this Nation, the first to go will be the whiners who can’t fend for themselves…in others, the Apocolypse won’t be all bad…
jacob freeman | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Remember Beshear’s campaign commercials touting his Christian upbringing and Church attendance? What a coward he is. Typical politician. 85% of the country defines themselves as Christians but spineless immasculated weaklings like beshear embolden the radical minority.
Ginger | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Jacob, how does Beshear’s calling the tree a holiday tree equate with him not being a Christian? For the love of God, would someone tell me why so many of you have to have your faith validated by what a freaking tree is called? Is your faith that shallow?
NotTheDevil | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Beshear is the devil! Not calling it a Christmas tree is the devil! This article is the devil! “Holiday” is the devil!
Bob | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
Of course it’s insulting to Christians to call it a holiday tree. The only reason to do so is to diminish it’s relationship with the Christian religion — as if being Christian is shameful. Furthermore, it does so by removing the name of Christ Himself — which any Christian can tell you is a major offence in the Christian faith (ie. denying God).
I’m simply shocked that a seasoned politician like Beshear doesn’t get this. And I’m shocked that Midkiff made matters worse by stating that everyone needs to remember that this time of year is all about taking care of others. Ummm, no, for Christians it’s about celebrating the birth of the Savior. Taking care of others flows out of that celebration.
If you want to be inclusive, put up other holiday displays. Nobody should be insulted by that. Or don’t put up any holiday display. That’s fine too. Just don’t go around yanking Christ out of a Christian symbol and insulting 85% of your constituents in the process. That’s political suicide.
Ginger | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
Well, Bob, if you’re going to insist that it is a symbol of one certain religion then maybe it has no business being in the public square at all. And please stop speaking for Christians as a whole. I’m a Christian and it’s not offensive to me to call the tree a holiday tree. Not all 85% of the self proclaimed Christians in this country are as “sensitive” as you are.
special delivery | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
Governor Beshear is a Christian, leave him alone. Critize some of these folks that are bashing him for their past adulterous sins.
Jason | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
Don’t forget Buck, Fletcher also was indicted for underhand deals with highway jobs. Bankrupted the KYTC’s budget which cost Kentuckians hundreds of jobs.
When Christians donate and/or pay for the Christmas Tree they can call it what they want.
Your attitude proves that you are not righteous. Too bad.
Buck Feshear | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
Jason, if you knew more than what you were spoonfed by the Fletcher-hating media, you’d know what a joke those indictments were. Did you know, for instance, that the husband of one of those grand jurors worked for Stumbo’s goon squad? No, because the press never reported it. And he didn’t bankrupt the budget. The money they spent was in the budget and they got a lot of construction done.
You, sir, don’t have a clue about anything, be it politics or Christianity or righteousness. I know that I’m right with God. Sounds like you aren’t.
Bill Koester | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
It doesn’t matter what they want to call it, it’s still a feaking “Christmas Tree” if they have it up on Dec 25th. According to the calendar that is “Christmas Day”! So much political carrectness you could choke on it and throw up. This makes KY look really stupid!
Tboy | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
Bravo! It is about time someone had the spine to do the right thing. Now, back to work making Kentucky a better place for all of us.
Connie Hunter | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
What the f***! People come here to live and we all have different relegions and when I was growing up there was no problem with using Christmas. I think instead of us changing for the aliens they came here let them learn our language and stop changing our traditions because of aliens.
N6570R | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
Does this mean we have to change the calendar to reflect this change? Will we call it “Holiday Season” vacation from now on instead of “Christmas Vacation”? Will the people against calling “Christmas” still want their “Christmas” bonuses this year, or will they find it so offensive as not to call it a “Holiday Season” bonus that they will refuse the bonus? I was just wondering? Boy the dumb sh** the politically correct group can come up with!
rebel 1 | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
Maybe we can have a Christmas tree once again when Beshear is defeated by Richie Farmer in the 2011 governors election.
Sherman Cahal | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
@rebel 1: Surely, there are more pressing matters to you than the terminology of a festive tree. I don’t celebrate christmas or any other religious holiday, and instead celebrate the spirit of winter. Not everyone holds the belief in some higher deity, and it is foolish to believe that we can expect our government to do the same when there are strict boundaries and separations defined in our constitution.
Pastor Jeff Fewbrains | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
Fugate and Cothran need to remember that Christianity stole the Christmas tree (and much of the rest of Christmas, including the timing) from other religions. They don’t mind stealing; they just get upset when the existence of any other religion is acknowledged. (“Yes, but WE stole those ideas in the service of the One True Faith. OUR religion has all the answers, so everything we do is OK!”)
blue canary | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
Christians are getting offended about something? STOP THE PRESSES!!!! Shouldn’t they be out feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting the prisoner and comforting the sick instead of getting up in arms over what a co-opted pagan symbol is being called? It’s not like anyone’s trying to rename the Nativity “The Seasonal Barn Birth.”
Bubbleup | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
Sounds good to me. Now do away with the “Christmas” holiday and get all of those hard working state employees back to their desks on Dec 24 & 25.
alleycat | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
please people wake up!! who cares!! we have serious problems here. i guess the down ecomomy hasn’t hit these people yet or they’d have other things to think about!!
WILLIAM KUNERT | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
This is for those of you who delight in bashing Pastor Fugate. FYI-Pastor Fugate was contacted by the writer of thisd article and asked his opinion of the governor’s decision to call it a holiday tree instead of a Christmas Tree. He gave hishonest opinion. I agree with him. Regarding the comment about his supposed denigration of blacks and Hispanics at the 2002 Freedom Rally. Did you actually hear him do that or is that what somewbody told you? Pastor Fugate respects everybody and I annot believe he would ever do what you claim. I would guess that more than 99% of people who bash him have never seen or heard him, except perhaps on TV, and have not the slightest notion who he really is. If he disliked Hispanics so much why would Clays Mill Road Baptist have a Hispanic church with over 150 members, why would he run buses in low income neighborhoods and bring 600 to 800 children, many minorities, to church every Sunday. Come and spend a Sunday with us and then bash him. My self, I’m proud to call him my Pastor.
N6570R | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
Boy, who’d thought a freaking Christmas tree would cause so much B.S., and it is a Christmas tree because it’s put up at Christmas time…DUH! It’s even on the calendar…”Christmas Day”! It’s not called “Holiday Season Day”, it’s called “Christmas Day”, as well as the night before is call Christmas Eve. I don’t much care about your politically correct crap, or the religous sect, facts are facts, it’s been “Christmas Day” and will be next year too! I even bet money most calendars will have it on them again next year! There will also be all kinds of Christmas specials on TV for kids too! They will be called Christmas stories, especially Charels Dickens, which is about Scrooge at Christmas time. I even bet some people will go out and sing “Christmas Carols” too! So, in advance and in keeping with tradition, “Merry Christmas to all!” Geez, I wonder if it was a stunt to get attention as a politician on Beshear’s part, or if he just got a visit from the political correctness fairy?
Xstateworker | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
Beshear should be run out of town. His communications mouth piece, Jill Midkiff does not have a clue. I listened to her babble personaly and she does not have the intelligence or the education to speak on behalf of any government idea. If you notice, she is never out front on TV or Radio. She is scared to death of the media and wants to hide behind press releases.
Xstateworker | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
Thank god I got out of Frankfort, if the people of the Commonwealth ever saw how things really work at the highest levels of State Government, they would riot in the streets.
Al | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
Come on people, grow up. Most of the Christmas customs you know and love are pagan.
Christmas is seen as a minor holiday compared to Easter, which also has a lot of pagan elements. The Cross is the symbol of Christianity, not the Christmas tree.
If you want to drag a dead tree into your house, fine, you can call it what you want. The governor’s duty is for all, not just a few Christian zealots.
Al | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
Mr Cahal, You ever heard of Jesus + nothing? It’s all about doing away with all man made laws and relying only on the Biblical laws as interpreted by the elite. This is what is guiding the Fundies. The rank and file may not know of this, but the leaders of their movement do.
The fundamentalist movement is not democratic, it is authoritarian. They talk of freedoms, but in the end, they want a theocratic state.
Read Jeff Sharlet’s “The Family.”
Jeff Smith | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
Americans have been using Christmas Trees since there was a United States. Christmas is the only holiday that uses a tree. This is ridiculous. One wonders what scares politicians so much about Christianity. What is next, changing Easter to “Bunny Day” since most people are celebrating Easter with the pagan fertility “egg” now? Isaiah 59:19 KJB – look it up!
Buck Feshear | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
Xstateworker: Especially with this administration.
I just wonder how many of these posters aren’t from Kentucky at all, but are ACLU-types from elsewhere who have seen this story linked on one of their blogs and have flocked here to comment? It always seems that anything having to do with religion draws the out-of-state crazies who would deny us our Kentucky customs to fit their world view.
Annie | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
I know many Christians who feel that a decorated tree in celebration of Christ’s birthday is inappropriate. I don’t recall a reference to a tree in the biblical depliction of the events leading up to the birth of Christ. Nor, do I recall the three Wise Men placing their gifts under a tree (Christmas or Holiday). We need to remember the true meaning of Christmas. When did we (Christians) decide that the appropriate celebration of our Saviour’s birth was to buy gifts for other people (most of whom don’t need anything else) versus giving to the Church or to the needy?
The contraversy surrounding the “naming” of the tree and the proper protocol for greetings is a perfect example of the Devil’s ability to seperate Christians and take away from the goodness of God and of all things Christian.
John Johnson | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
William Kunert, don\’t come here with that \”Can you prove he said that in 2002\” stuff. He admitted it repeatedly. I was in Applebee Park, and I heard every hate-filled sick word out of his mouth.
I refuse to even call him a reverend. He needs help, and I hope he gets it.
my71mc | Oct 30, 2009 | Reply
For those who think this is just semantics, keep in mind that for Christians it is a process of being marginalized. With the looming hate crimes legislation that now appear to include thought/intent as determining factors, semantics are a big deal to people of faith. Pastors face their calling with a larger target on their backs just for sharing their opinion if it “offends” anyone else. I agree that what offends us shouldn’t define us yet Fugate’s point is just as legitimate as the supposed offense of non-Christians that began the entire “Christmas” vs. “holiday” discussion.
PreacherJames | Oct 30, 2009 | Reply
First of all…I’m a Christian (and proud of it) an secondly, I’m a preacher (it’s my calling). Scripturally speaking (and that’s what Christians should care most about), a tree decorated in December has nothing to do with Christ’s birth. It is pagan in origin and yet we adorn our church buildings with them every year. Why not just put an Asherah pole or Baal altar up, it would be just as “christian” as a Christmas tree? Fellow Christians…grow up! Is arguing over what someone calls a tree that has nothing to do with our King and savior how you expect to win non-Christian’s to our message of grace and truth? How about serving them…and loving them…and sharing with them why you believe what you do?
my71mc | Oct 30, 2009 | Reply
I understand your point, but it’s not as though the recommendation is to voice displeasure over the Christmas tree at the expense of telling people about Jesus. What is a politically relevant and appropriate area for Christians to hold politicians accountable?
handiman | Oct 30, 2009 | Reply
He obviously doesn’t have any interest in being re-elected.
This is just another nail in his coffin.
Whether he likes it or not this state is in the middle of the Bible Belt. Most citizen’s values are based on a christian faith.
Richie’s handlers are laughing all the way to the ballot box.
Xstateworker is correct in if the general public knew what went on in Frankfort, there would be rioting in the streets.
Erica | Oct 30, 2009 | Reply
Beshear, you politically-correct sellout. How can we as people keep our soul and not worry about pleasing and appealing to a man-made thing such as politics. You mean to tell me that if Beshear is a Christian, that he is willing to abandon his beliefs just to appeal to the world? To be politically-correct?
Erica | Oct 30, 2009 | Reply
That’s all fine and dandy and you are correct, but it is the purpose and point of why Beshear did this that matters. He is trying to avoid that insertion of Christianity into the public. It’s not him saying what you are saying.
Buck Feshear | Oct 31, 2009 | Reply
A Christmas tree is not a religious symbol. It’s a secular symbol of a religious holiday. Of course the end result the liberals want to see is the elimination of Christmas as a government holiday. I am frankly still surprised that the state still observes the afternoon of Good Friday as a state holiday.
ClockWork | Nov 1, 2009 | Reply
It’s a Christmas tree. If it doesn’t suit your needs, go eat a pork chop.
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