Now I love a beautifully decorated evergreen tree as much as anyone. And even though not a Christian, will often have a tree at home during the holidays! Now I understand that many people look at it as a Christmas tree but that really has no place in a decorated tree in the Wisconsin Capitol Rotunda. That does give the appearance of establishment of religion which is a direct violation of the US Constitution. So calling it a holiday tree seems appropriate…aina?
But given the angst in the GOP offices on Madison, you’d think that the governor was building a Colosseum and importing lions:
Sixty Republicans and four Democrats voted to officially recognize the Capitol’s holiday centerpiece as a Christmas tree, with GOP lawmakers who brought the resolution arguing it honors tradition and includes the Christian faith in the rotunda during the holidays where a menorah also is displayed.
Emphasis mine
We don’t want to include the Christian faith in the rotunda!
Republican lawmakers and former Gov. Scott Walker have blasted Evers’ use of the secular name, but it marked a return to what the tree had been named under Democratic and Republican governors until Walker took office.
But Democrats said the resolution was being used to divide Wisconsinites further and signified the lack of solutions lawmakers were passing under divided government to address more significant problems facing the state.
So maybe next year…we just skip the tree and leave it in the woods as a carbon sink in our fight against climate change.
Or better yet, declare late November through December “Wisconsin Evergreen Growers Month” and use the tree as a public relations tool
Or wait until the GOP is out of town…which is happening pretty soon…the legislature is about ready to close shop for the ‘holidays’!
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