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Merry Christmas!
12/1/2009
My thoughts in this letter are presented as a resident of this town, a working mother of three young boys, and a committed follower of my Christian faith.
I firmly believe that the United States as a country and North Andover as a community should promote a clear freedom of religion as stated in the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This statement does not advance the current politically correct climate that has become the notion of ‘freedom from religion’. My family and fellow Christians across the nation celebrate Christmas as the birth of the Christ Child, a factual human event. We hold this meaning and this belief of these events as part of our core values. These beliefs are practiced in our faith and are held personally – independent of municipal guidance or ordinance.
The federal, state, and municipal government recognize Christmas as a holiday for all to this day. No one is forced to celebrate any holiday in a particular manner simply by the display of decorative accessories. The firefighters of North Andover have dedicated their professional careers and lives, sacrificing for the good and safety of our community. They have served the country as well as our town and should be justifiably recognized for their service. For five decades the North Andover Fire Department has recognized the federal and municipal holiday by displaying a traditional sign voicing their inalienable right to celebrating a season of glad tidings, good will, and a spirit of a unified community. These sentiments are free of religious overtones far and away from any organized religious decree requiring participation from the community at large. Every tax-paying citizen of the Town of North Andover should get equal access to resources to express and display their sentiments and beliefs, be they religious in connotation or otherwise.
Why suddenly has this become an issue after more than 50 years? Shall we all as a community bow to the complaints of a few when our democratic society bases its backbone on the principal of a majority? While I do not believe that a majority can impose a religious activity upon a minority, I also submit that a minority complaint is not representative of the community as a whole and should not wipe out the traditional displays that have been part of the fabric of this town for years. Shall we deny the right of the firefighters to choose to display a statement in support of a federal holiday recognized by the very country and government to which they are sworn as civil servants to protect and serve? I say no. Let us not run scared, let us stand and defend a time-honored declaration of celebration that has come to be a constant in the Town of North Andover.
Sincerely,
Karin Rhoton
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