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Celebrate all religions on their most holy days

I am so tired of listening to the news every day and hearing that the "Christmas tree" is now a "holiday tree." Nativity scenes can't be on city property. You can't say "Merry Christmas," it has to be "Happy Holidays," etc.

This is a free country, or so I thought. This country was founded as "one nation under God" and that means whichever God you worship! Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist - it doesn't matter. This world is becoming more and more diverse every day with understanding and learning other religions, but if we are supposed to be a free country, every religion that wants to be known should be recognized. Christians shouldn't have to sacrifice "Christmas tree," just like the Jewish shouldn't sacrifice the Menorah and so forth.

It seems to me the only people who really want "Christmas" removed from everywhere are the politicians and the atheists. I have friends who are Jewish and have talked about the crap we see on television about the "holidays" and it's very frustrating. One city has a Menorah, but instead of a Christmas tree, they have a holiday tree.

People, the idea of freedom of religion is not to deny any religion, it's to celebrate all religions. Bring back Merry Christmas, bring back the Christmas tree, bring back the nativity scenes. These are symbols of Christianity just like the menorah for the Jewish. Offer to display symbols of other religions during their most religious seasons of the year. Let us have our freedom of religion back so we don't have to worry about what some politician or atheist will think.

Has anyone out there, no matter what religion, ever read the story of Hanukkah? I have and I'm a Christian. Try learning about other religions, whether you believe in them or not. They're fascinating, and it sure helps in understanding and being open to other's beliefs and cultures.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year to everyone.

Shift focus to the noble deeds bicyclists perform

Re: Bike fatality underscores trail's rules, editorial, Nov. 20.

Your editorial tickled me. It's almost as if you are insinuating that if it hadn't been dark out, the cyclist's fork wouldn't have broken.

Maybe I missed your point or maybe I am a little paranoid, because it seems whenever some unfortunate incident occurs between motorist and bicyclist, even when liability clearly falls on the motorist's part, the St. Petersburg Times feels the need to crucify cycling and cyclists.

Here are the facts: Unfortunately, Terry Joyce's bicycle fork would have broken no matter what time of day it was or how light or how dark it was outside. With that in mind, was it really necessary to tie that unfortunate incident together with the fact that the particular group of cyclists was riding after dark, which is against the rules of the Pinellas Trail?

Once again, your paper has succeeded in solidifying a negative image in motorists' minds toward cyclists. And take it from me - I ride about 250 miles a week on the streets of Pinellas County - cyclists do not need your help in that category! There are plenty of groups of cyclists that ride around this immediate area that are completely capable of carving out a bad name for themselves without a boost from the Times, just as there are plenty of motorists who have no business operating a motor vehicle on any street, let alone on the overcrowded streets of Pinellas County.

What the Times seems to neglect writing about is the fact that cyclists in and around Pinellas County do a considerable amount of positive things for their respective communities.

Try telling your readers that every year for the past five years, the St. Petersburg Bicycle Club has purchased countless bicycles, helmets and water bottles and donated them to Toys For Tots, or that for 13 years the bicycle club has donated a large percentage of profits from the Spring Classic to the American Cancer Society, the American Red Cross and the Deaf Services Center.

We must all, cyclists and motorists alike, learn to co-exist on the streets. Bicycling and bicyclists are not going to just go away, and neither are motor vehicles, no matter how high the gas prices get. I own both and I'm not giving up either one of them!

Tunnels for panthers? Why not for people as well?

In a recent letter to the editor the comment was made, "It costs too much to build a bridge for pedestrians crossing U.S. 19."

What about a tunnel under the highway? We have them on Alligator Alley for the wild panthers. We can make them for us, too. We should have the pedestrian crossings built into the highway's blueprint.

I don't know who in the state Department of Transportation to call. Maybe they will read this.

[Last modified December 14, 2005, 00:14:15]