When Downtown Crossing was really all Christmassy

Okay, first, I need to note that I'm not Christian or even white. So this is not about being a part of that population and offended by your statement.

Instead, I'm trying to understand what is so wrong with those pictures. I mean first, there was a sense of so much life and energy in those pictures. It looks like it took a lot of effort to make them and decorate the streets. A festive energy. Do you have a problem with that?

Okay, I can see that probably have no problem with the energy. Still I have to confirm that, for my thinking that part of the reason why that energy was there was the expression of religion. That said, I have to ask of why do a people need to hide their religion (derived from that it is a good thing that there's no more Noah's ark displays). My understanding of Christmas is that it is actually is a religious holiday (this recalls that despite it from a cartoon, the meaning was explained eloquently by that Charlie Brown Cartoon).

I might not share the same religion, but I can understand that Christmas is first, a religious holiday. If people wish to celebrate it as such, I see no reason against it. As long other can freely express it their own (and preferable than everyone must worship quietly, if that is what you're saying). Actually, my thinking that it is kinda tragic that it is gone. For what replaced it is just a boatload of commercialized crap designed to make people spend-spend-spend for obligatory gifts and stressing out over said obligatory gifting.

Those pictures, religious or not, have a sense of so much life and energy. If the tea partiers can bring that back as long it doesn't mean hostility to me or those not like them, I see nothing wrong with that. Better that then spend all that energy suppressing such expression and now replaced with commercialized crapped made by marketers to make people shop without thinking and warped values. If there was a Noah's Ark on display now, why would it be such a problem. Because it might offend people? How about I just look at it intellectually and live and let live.

Finally, I need you expand on the "progress" bit. I cannot understand what you are trying to say at all. Or if I do then.. How is it progress if a population is replaced by a new race and creed? My understanding of progress is advancement to a better good, meaning increased fairness, justice, freedom, livelihood, and basically things that increase prosperity and happiness. I don't see how either staying in power (which is what I think you are claiming that's what tea partiers want) or awareness that population with race and creeds changing is progress. I would imagine that the populating being changed from would not like that (nor being labeled as backwards). Nor how an increased awareness of such change nor a change in population means it meets my definition of progress.

Geez Louise, calm the frick down. This store is privately owned, they could put whatever they want in their windows. You must be one of those sad people that creep Bill O'Reilly told me about when he talks about his bogus War on Christmas. Why do you need to give him ammunition (lest ye be a troll)? I'm all for keeping state and religion as far apart as possible. No one had his jaw dropped lower than I did when Christine O'Donnell suggested otherwise, and I'm an avowed agnostic and recovering Catholic. But do you really have to get on your soapbox high enough to put your thumb in the eye of anyone who might have enjoyed these photos for the childhood memories they evoke, religious connotations aside? Joe McCarthy, pitchforks and book burnings were not the first things that sprang to mind when I saw them. I was thinking of the old Bailey's ice cream parlor on nearby Winter Street, and it put me in a great mood, until you opened your big yapper! Try not to suck all the fun out of people's lives, could you? One more thing -when you say 'the windows in New York are non-religious, do you mean now or 50 years ago? I'm pretty sure they looked like ours then and look like ours now.