Leesburg Courthouse Controversey

This is a fascinating story, and I'd like to thank Barbara Curtis, over at MommyLife, for bringing this to our attention. She lives near Leesburg, and has been following the continuing saga of the Christmas displays allowed on the courthouse lawn.

A local resident submitted his application to put up this display for the public's enjoyment, on the courthouse lawn. It was approved, and stood there. Santa, as a skeleton, on a cross. How many ways can we list, that this is wrong? Such a sad image for the average five year old to behold, driving by on the way to school.

The Leesburg authorities have had trouble in the past swallowing the "religious nature" of the Christmas displays. They don't want to offend local atheists, etc. But evidently they don't mind offending the Christians, or for goodness sakes, just all the happy holiday-goers who really, really don't want to see Santa as a skeleton, being crucified.

Evidently the man who made this display thought he was making a statement against the materialism and greed of Christmas. Yeah. That was exactly what I first thought of, when I saw it -- NOT! What idiots in the Leesburg courthouse bought that explanation?

Anyway, after it had been up a bit, a news crew went to check it out. And while they were there, they spotted a nice, soft-spoken lady, who walked up to the display and proceeded to dismantle it. Yippee!  Three cheers for brave little ladies! Watch the video:

If I begin to wax eloquent on all the ways that the newslady and the athiest are wrong, I'll be here all night. Did you hear him say, "Offensiveness is in the eye of the beholder"?  In other words, "Lady, if you don't like skeleton Santa, then just avert your eyes!" When the Nativity Scene he detests is up there, he needs to heed his own words.

One lady noted that although she isn't Buddhist, she would never want to put up a display that mocks or desecrates that religion. The key, you see, is that, although you may not agree with a particular religion, you should still treat it and its followers with common respect. There is no law that dictates that anything one does not personally avow must then be ridiculed and humiliated.

The newslady says that this woman is vandalizing the display. I consider vandalizing to be a violent act. She is just removing it from view, placing it on the ground. I imagine tomorrow it will be back up. What a hubbub this is causing!

Leesburg authorities: Please, please, only allow displays that are not intentionally mocking and offensive to the people who might cherish the items being used in the display. Yes, I understand that means that displays ought not mock and deride Mohammad or Buddha or any other faiths. Or Jesus. Or Jesus. Keep His cross out of it. I wonder -- will the lady leave the cross as it is? And will the atheist find the cross alone, offensive?