Irv Sutley, a disabled 65-year-old Marine veteran, said the symbols were "extremely offensive."
Posted on 12/23/2009 8:26:45 AM PST by SmartInsight
There's no place for angels atop Christmas trees, according to one California man who successfully lobbied for the removal of religious symbols at county buildings after spotting a yuletide decoration last week.
Stars and other religious emblems were ordered removed from Christmas trees in all government buildings in Sonoma County on Monday following a complaint by Irv Sutley, a disabled 65-year-old Marine veteran who said the symbols were "extremely offensive" and part of the "cult" of Christianity.
Sutley said he filed the complaint with acting County Administrator Chris Thomas on Dec. 18 after noticing an angel atop a six-foot tree in the lobby of the county recorder's office. Sutley, a lifelong atheist and chairman of the county's Peace and Freedom Party, said he visited the office last week for his re-election bid next June.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Let him sue.
This is preposterous.
If I complain about the CA officials, will they be removed?
How is a Star a religious symbol?
Complain about Irv Sutley - have him removed.
LOL! Thats like simply describing hitler as a former WW1 veteran. Google this guy! He was accused in a murder for hire plot, provided a gun to someone accused in a terrorist attack on a US military base, and was a member of the communist party. Do your homework on this loser!
I’m not sure which is worse. The complaining moron, or the neutered chicken-sh*ts who listen to the moron’s complaints.
It seems his disability went to his head, which I find extremely offensive... let’s remove it. /s
It’s almost like there’s a squad of these people who go around to public places every Christmas looking to be offended. One problem we have is that we have too many lawyers who made an industry of pushing these bogus claims.
I dunno- Sutley must have suffered atheistic agony everytime he saw a row of stars on his CINC’s shirt collar or sees them on a US flag like the one that will drape his coffin someday
but stars are missing from my liberal town’s “holiday tree”, too
Looks like the papers were very selective about how they portrayed him!
Can you imagine how they wuld have described him if he were conservative!
Irv Sutley, you are “extremely Offensive” to me, I want you removed.
It is only later in the article they mention:
“a lifelong atheist and chairman of the county’s Peace and Freedom Party”
“The Peace and Freedom Party is an open, multi-tendency, movement-oriented socialist party. We are united in our common commitment to socialism, democracy, feminism and unionism and our common opposition to capitalism, imperialism, racism, sexism and elitism.”
http://www.peaceandfreedom.org/home/
Why don’t these people ever stand in front of a mosque and scream that there is no allah!
Irv Sutley, a disabled 65-year-old Marine veteran, said the symbols were "extremely offensive."
The same way a crescent moon is.... therefore, I want the stars and stripes pulled off the flag and want them replaced by something more calming lie one crescent moon.....
Y’know what? It offends me to be forced to watch some woman covered from head to toe with a burka, too, but no one puts an end to that in this country. It offends me to look at pictures of Mao on the Christmas tree in my country’s capital. It offends me to see the man posing as President refuse to show respect for our nation’s flag. So when can we put a stop to all the things that offend me, or does that only apply to country-hating, God-hating goose-stepping jackboots?
That’s not a Christmas angel, it’s a Christmas Atheist with a tree stuck up his a....
If one wants to believe--or not--is besides the issue
That he or anyone would go so far as to impose their non-beliefs on 80% of the rest of us, is an abomination and goes to the heart of the non-believers' intolerance!"
IT'S THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!
Apologies to all other Marines
He looks like an angry pri*k. Hope he takes a dirt nap soon.
some one should have told him to stay in his house if he’s offended....I am tired of assholes numbering 1 ONE changing things for the many...
Feel free to try...And when ya get done there you can start on the the Alabama state officials who ordered the plaque/monument of the Ten Commandments removed from a the state house and into the basement there, a few years back...
Well, many people, including _resident Obama, worship this star...
If 98% of the population finds the city action to remove the decorations “extremely offensive,” do we win on the same grounds? Isn’t this a two-way street? We are all victims of a minority on one “offended” individual.
And how, exactly, does an angel atop a tree run afoul of “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” A municipal government’s display of decorations couldn’t possible be more further afield from Congress passing a law to establish a religion.
IRVING was in the Marines though (#1976961) from 62 to 70, but he never went to Vietnam -- kind of odd for a Marine of that era? -- but NOT surprisingly, he never rose above the rank of Private E-1.
It's also kinda funny how all (or most) of these 'atheists' like IRVING and pain-in-the-ass Michael Newdow, who get their jollies suing over every 'Christian Symbol or God' that they see, are of Jewish heritage. And that many like IRVING are Communists to boot.
Irv Sutley, get off my planet! Your self-importance is causing the Earth to wobble!
We have to havbe people who ignore or fight these
type of people. Can’t the good citizen tell
these people to stick it....We miss john Wayne and
Ron. JK
Apparently he only joined the military to cause trouble:
A personal story; private E-1 Irv Sutley, service number 1976961.
Publication: American Atheist Newsletter
http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-2369797/A-personal-story-private-E.html
“All of the new enlistees were required to attend one of four religious meetings: protestant, catholic, buddhist, or jewish. In front of a battalion formation, I refused to attend any of these compulsory activities—basing my refusal on constitutional grounds that the government has no right to compel an individual or class of persons to attend any sectarian activity. This refusal enraged my platoon’s non-commissioned officers (the infamous Marine Corps drill instructors) as well as my company’s commanding officer. But despite threats of a court-martial, along with personal and off the record warnings and threats, I was determined to hold my ground.
During my eight year enlistment (all of which I spent as a Private E-1), I never saluted any officer who was a military chaplain”
Lrr Harvey Oswald was an ex-marine too.
Being a Marine is a proud heritage spoiled by dipsticks like this.
One clown claims offense and everybody else has to suffer.
It is offensive to me that this turkey is getting disability from the Marine Corps.
UGH!
Tell me one time where this situation went differently? Why do we become outraged? Is our outrage any different than this man’s?
A plastic angel on a pagan tree erected by a godless government entity to give us a false impression that they are righteous. Our great leader mocks us with his own decorations. Our leaders in congress are passing a devious health care bill on the celebrated eve of my Savior’s birth.
Our country turned it’s back on the Lord. It should be no surprise that He is turning his back on us.
lol I saw another FR article and did a brief search and that stuff popped up :)
Wonder if the officials of Sonoma County would so the same thing if those atheists who are putting up their signs saying there is no God put one up?
I mean, would the officials of Sonoma county tell the atheists they have to take down their signs because they are offensive to believers?
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
It is a federal holiday, let him sue. Change the laws that frivilous lawsuits must bear all court costs.
Both are offensive, I hate cutsy Angels that look like girls....Angels are mighty warrior creatures not pansy little cherubs.
Yet he seems content to live off a disability pension from our capitalist government.
He is petitioning to have a cross removed that someone put up to memorialize a person who died because it was put there without a permit! It just doesn't get any lower than that.
He is a Grinch!
It amazes me how atheists simply cannot bare the sight of religious images, especially the cross. If you don't believe, than you should be fine with seeing a cross, an angel, or a star of David.
I cannot believe that ONE person can have this much pull. This happens all of the time! ONE person complains, and the cross, etc. are gone.
Incredible!
You have to be kidding me. I like how the journo’s leave info like that out.
Fools!
His face is extremely offensive. It should be removed promptly!
LOL — all I had to do was read he is from “Sonoma” in this story and I knew all I needed to know about this idiot.
Every time I see things like this I smile. I wonder if they have every been to the city of angels, Saint Joseph or that other near by city Saint Francis?
Religion can not be banned from the public square. See the First Amendment.
It is an Islamic religious symbol, and I am offended by it!
Beautiful, thanks.
Wow! This guy is great! I wish we all could be like him!
Geez. He sounds like a real winner, this one...
Maybe his shoes are too tight or his head isn’t screwed on just right.
Socialist party? More like the jack-boot wannbe-thugs-someday-under-0bama club.
Someone should slap this guy for his stupidity.
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