County Executive orders "religion-neutral" Christmas (and blames 9/11 Attack)

King County Executive ^ | 11/30/01 | Ron Sims, King County Executive

[ppaul]

TO: KC Global Announcement to All King County Employees

FM: Ron Sims, King County Executive

RE: Holiday Celebrations

With the post September 11 tragedy climate and the religious holidays starting, we at King County want to ensure that any upcoming holiday celebration at the workplace is held in a respectful, inclusive, and sensitive manner that does not favor one religion over another. Particularly in public areas, this means that any holiday recognition or celebration should be religion-neutral.

Examples of religion-neutral practices include: naming the celebration(s) "Holiday Celebration" or "Winter Celebration;"

using general greetings such as "Happy Holidays" or "Holiday Greetings;"

using decorations that are commonplace - poinsettias, evergreen boughs, lights - but not using religious symbols nor practices; and

obtaining the concurrence of all affected employees prior to holding a holiday social and/or food gathering. Care should be taken that employees who do not concur with holding a gathering are protected from retaliation.

Cultural information sharing about various religious holidays in the name of diversity is allowable when it is done in the context of employee education and is inclusive of various religious celebrations such as Ramadan, Hanukkah, Christmas, etc.

I encourage you to contact Maria Batayola, at (206) 263-7380, should you have any questions and/or comments.

cc: Robert S. Derrick, Director, Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM)

Maria Batayola, Manager, Diversity Management Division, OHRM

King County Executive, RON SIMS

:

[ppaul]

Political Correctness run amuck.

Here's the link to his website: King County Executive, RON SIMS

:

[SoDak]

As time goes by, I fear it will only get worse. Christians are under a full assault, and the government and judiciary are doing all they can to help.

[Sir Gawain]

This has to be a joke.

[George from New England]

Is this the Seattle, Washington county ?

[Free Vulcan]

Particularly in public areas, this means that any holiday recognition or celebration should be religion-neutral.

By public I assume they mean publicly (i.e govt) owned property. Otherwise it is a 1st Amendment violation.

[Bill Davis FR]

why is our culture being destroyed...

[Dumb_Ox]

You aren't exposing yourself as an employee, are you? Though I certainly appreciate the information, some organizations don't take kindly to having their memos blasted all over the internet.

[dead]

Human resource type idiots are as big a drag on our economy as lawyers.

They just sit around all day, trying to figure out new ways to insinuate themselves on people who are trying to work for a living.

To top it off, they set their own salary.

[Marysecretary]

Yep, and you can bet there will be more and more anti-Christian bigotry in the future. If I lived there, I would be sure that all Christians who felt the same way as I did would decorate their homes exactly the way they always did and even moreso! What a bunch of crap.

[Digger]

Everyone I talk with gets a MERRY CHRISTMAS. If I offend them TS!

[stainlessbanner]

Diversity Management Division

Here's the problem - people can make a career out of diversity. I bet there is a college degree in diversity somewhere....

[ladtx]

Someone PLLEEEase explain to me how you can have a religion-neutral religious holiday?

[stainlessbanner]

I'll bet it's ok to say Happy Kwanzaa...

[Rebelbase]

Bit by bit and piece by piece they whittle away.

Was'nt it Lenin who said something to the effect of "remove freedom in small increments and by the time the people realize its gone there's nothing they can do about it"?

[wildandcrazyrussian]

I note with disapproval that the holiday of "Ramadan" is mentioned before that of "Christmas". If I knew anybody who works in the offices, I would highly encourage them to stand up for their Constitutional right to express the appropriate greetings to each other. Centuries from now, Europe and the US might be Islamic dictatorships because of the weakness of the political "leaders" of today and the near future, but for now I defy anybody to say that it is "inappropriate" to express one's joy and celebration at the glorious

Holyday of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (which is how we name it in the Orthodox Church).