With the passing of the Dulles rail vote, the Loudoun Board of Supervisors will shift attention Tuesday to yet another long-running and contentious issue – the county policy regarding displays at the courthouse grounds in downtown Leesburg.
Loudoun County’s holiday display at the courthouse has made unwanted national headlines in recent years. Last December, a “skeleton Santa” on a cross outside the courthouse was vandalized, leading Christian and atheist groups alike to hold peaceful demonstrations on the county property.
A board-appointed Loudoun County Courthouse Grounds and Facilities Committee, which has been studying the issue, is recommending the government-sponsored seasonal display consist of a “live evergreen tree that would be 10 feet to 14 feet in height and adorned with traditional non-blinking colored lights (with four bulbs per square foot), ornaments that would consist of multi-colored balls and a lighted star at the top.”
The display would also include a crèche, a menorah and a Santa display featuring a sleigh and reindeer approximately 15 feet in length.
Additionally, “wreaths and garlands of greenery be hung on the fence of the courthouse lawn, and that the tree be placed in the traditional spot on the sidewalk in front of the Courthouse and that placement of the other display items would be on the lawn beside the tree,” the committee’s recommendation states.
On June 11 the Board of Supervisors Finance and Government Services and Operations Committee voted 3-1 with Supervisor Shawn Williams (R-Broad Run) opposing to recommend the courthouse grounds committee’s proposal.
Williams, an attorney in his day job, believes it’s time the board – and the county – put the courthouse grounds issue to rest.
“I’ve actually talked to my pastor about this,” Williams said during a May board meeting. “And he said, ‘why don’t you guys just put a tree out there?’ … that is probably something we need to do so we can focus on the [other] business of this board.”
Commenting directly on the committee’s recommendation, the Broad Run supervisor said he thinks that’s “appropriate,” but it’s not going to resolve the issue if there’s “a menorah and some other religious-type items” on display.
Clint Good, chairman of the Courthouse Grounds Committee, has said he’s comfortable with his group’s recommendation. The committee largely followed the guidelines and recommendations from Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, as well as the decorations of the White House grounds, Good said May 22.
The key is that there’s a fair balance of religious and secular items, Good added.
That Guy
A tree is a secular holiday decoration; it has nothing to do with Christianity it was a German tradition made popular in the UK and USA in the early 19th century
As much as I don’t like it - I don’t mind a simple tree. But I don’t want to pay for it. It would be better to have nothing, but I don’t want to hear endless drivel from the religious right. If the tree isn’t good enough, then I’ve got a problem with them!
Indeed, the Obamas decorated their tree inside the White House with a Mao ornament in 2009. We perhaps should set a better example here in Loudoun.
The White House is not a good model as it is the residence of the President. If the BOS want to decorate their offices they can do it anyway they want…like the White House if so desired. A better example for the Loudoun Courthouse is to emulate the decoration of the Supreme Court. Nothing.
First order of business should be to eliminate this inane committee? Next, just use common sense to decide what belongs on the courthouse grounds in December. Hint—look what the federal government allows by the White House durning December.
“Some lights, a tree, some gifts—all secular. No religious symbols, no skeletons, no jedi, no spaghetti monster.”
Sounds like an endorsement of Christmas to me. If you are going to have a tree with lights and presents, I want Jedi and Flying Spaghetti Monster displays too.
How about you don’t put ANYTHING there and let it rest. No religious displays on the courthouse property will stop the ‘unwanted’ attention. Religious displays belong only at religious institutions. The courthouse is not a church.
Agreed, they should go with a tree and leave it at that. Why are there some groups who want to use the government to support their particular religious tradition? If just a tree causes an issue, then don’t put up anything to mark that holiday period.
Last year’s fiasco made Loudoun a laughingstock with the inability to just say “no” to nonsense. Focus on holiday spirit, not the religion and everything will be fine. Some lights, a tree, some gifts—all secular. No religious symbols, no skeletons, no jedi, no spaghetti monster.
So the government is going to regulate what chreche is acceptable? Lots of opportunity to make theological winners and losers by choosing one religious tradition over another.
Agreed. If the BoS approves any type of Religious display, the County will almost certainly face (yet another) lawsuit. Just put an agnostic “holiday” tree up and call it a day. Religious holidays displays are for Churches and Synagogues (hence private property), not County property.
In my opinion, what happened last year was abysmal. You had a woman vandalize a courthouse display (the skeleton Santa) and not be charged, cited, or arrested. Not to mention the plethora of protesters who really are nothing more than a distraction brought to you by the cultural warriors.
Just put up a simple tree with no religious symbols or if that doesn’t suit the religious right wing in Loudoun tell them they get nothing - no tree, no lights, no holiday symbols.
Just stick with the tree and drop the religious symbols and you will avoid this silly debate.
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