County Exec Doesn’t Repeat Innkeeper’s Mistake
Note: One of my favorite organizations, the First Freedoms Foundation, passed along this happy Christmas story that I thought I would share with you. Merry Christmas everyone!
County Exec Doesn’t Repeat Innkeeper’s Mistake
After the Foundation contacted his office recently, Executive Walker made sure that Pat and Jackie were allowed to place a lovely manger scene in the Milwaukee County Courthouse, just in time for Christmas.
Jackie Malone works at the courthouse as a court reporter, and noticed last year that Hanukkah and Kwanzaa themes were on display, but nothing for Christmas. She contacted the facilities manager, but was told there was “no room.”
That didn’t stop the Malones. This year, Patrick and his brother built a lovely manger scene. Jackie started a “Courthouse Christmas Club” and contacted First Freedoms Foundation. “All it took was one phone call,” said Foundation general counsel Mike Dean. “We’re pleased the Executive didn’t repeat the innkeeper’s mistake – this year there was room for the Christ child.”
“It’s great to have a public official that understands the role of religion in our nation’s history and the free exercise rights of all citizens to share their faith in the public square,” Dean said. “For too long, courts have acted as if the Establishment Clause somehow requires selective discrimination against religious viewpoints, and against Christianity in particular.”
“Pat and Jackie didn’t want to take over the inn, they just wanted a place to express their Christian faith the same as everyone else. The courthouse has been a traditional place for expression of diverse views, and we’re pleased Mr. Walker took quick action to make sure that Christians weren’t banned from the public square.”
First Freedoms Foundation is no stranger to “Christmas wars.” In 2001, First Freedoms sued Gov. Scott McCallum’s administration for banning religious ornaments from decorations the public was invited to donate for the state “holiday tree.”
Air Force Sgt. Wayne Bird was a jet fighter mechanic and water color artist headed for Kuwait shortly after 9/11 to prepare for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Before he went off to war, Sgt. Bird wanted to donate the ornament he’d painted with an American flag and “God Bless America.”
But Madison-based Freedom from Religion Foundation had so cowed state officials with baseless threats that they issued a directive, “No religious ornaments allowed.”
When First Freedoms sued in federal court, officials quickly withdrew the order and hung religious ornaments on the state tree, including Sgt. Bird’s. First Freedoms’ action made national news, and began a movement taking legal action to reverse the trend begun in the 1960s of excluding Christ from Christmas in public displays.
Anyone wishing to “join the Club” and help defray Pat and Jackie’s costs for the display can make small donations at http://milwaukeecountychristmasclub2009.chipin.com/milwaukee-county-christmas-club.
This press release is remarkably fact-free and looks rather trumped-up to me. Is this part of Walker’s campaign? A facilities manager said there was no room? Really? On what basis? Bureaucratic laziness? She got this in writing? There was a policy that said “No Christian displays”? I can’t find an actual news story about this. Can you?
You think the First Amendment says the Nativity needs “official recognition”?
I notice there are no donations on the ChipIn site.
[Reply]
James Wigderson Reply:
December 27th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
Really? You think the whole thing was stage managed? Seriously?
[Reply]
John Foust Reply:
December 27th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Give me the 5 W’s. Clearly the nut of the matter is whether or not the County had a policy of any sort, and for what reason any (unnamed) facility manager said “no” and for what reason. This press release says nothing about that. I don’t quite get it… the County Exec had to intervene? For what reason?
[Reply]
I can say that there has never been any grief given to workers who put up a creche in their workspace. Also, at the mental health complex, they have had wooden figures representing the creche in the front of the building, for quite a number of years.
Also, judging from the brightness of the photo, that is either by one of the doors or in Walker’s office.
I just wonder though, isn’t sacrilegious to have the baby Jesus exposed to rats, roaches and rubbish?
[Reply]
James Wigderson Reply:
December 28th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Perhaps the county workers should have done a better job cleaning rather than throwing a tantrum and leaving the mess.
[Reply]
John Foust Reply:
December 28th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Back to the story at hand. You dispute Capper’s anecdotes? You still think the First Freedoms Foundation didn’t invent this controversy for the sake of a pro-Walker press release?
[Reply]
capper Reply:
December 28th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
How can they clean when they were walked off the job? Of all the right wingers, I would have expected the truth from you, James.
[Reply]
“I just wonder though, isn’t sacrilegious to have the baby Jesus exposed to rats, roaches and rubbish?”
Ahh…he was born in a stable Capper; into a world of sinners that probably could be called “rats, roaches and rubbish”.
[Reply]
I have finally received a response from Gary Waszak, the Facilities Maintenance Coordinator for Milwaukee County. Below are my questions and his answers.
Q. Can you confirm the circumstances regarding the claim that Jackie Malone was turned away last year? Who did she talk to?
A. Last season the County was following the recommendation to not permit additional displays of any kind.
Q. Does the Courthouse have a written policy about these displays?
A. Our policy is to have Corporation Counsel advise on the allowing or not allowing of displays in the rotunda.
Q. Exactly what sort of intervention was required by the County Executive in order to make this happen?
A. There was no intervention, the request was forwarded by the County Executive’s Office to Corporation Counsel and cleared by Corporation Counsel. Had Facilities received the request, it would have still been forwarded to Corporation Counsel.
[Reply]
Jim McGuigan Reply:
January 29th, 2010 at 8:18 am
I guess that pretty much puts it to bed. The whole issue of whether or not a nativity scene was excluded in the past was just another farce brought to us by the same whack jobs that are paranoid that Christ is being excluded from CHRISTmas. (Is there some delusional fear that we’re going to rename it SODOMANDGOMORRAHmas? )
[Reply]