Journo

That's No Ordinary Rabbit!

William Shakespeare famously wrote, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

Well, Shakespeare, welcome to Rhode Island.

The Providence Journal ran an article just the other day (available here) that outlined Rep. Rick Singleton's new plan to combat the evil that is secularism. It involves, of all things, the Easter Bunny. Many Monty Python fans are imagining a wicked creature with "sharp, pointy teeth," but Singleton isn't intending to use the rabbit as a weapon. Rather, he hopes his new bill will protect the fuzzy bunny and other holiday symbols, like trees and... menorahs.

The picture that ran alongside the article was worth a thousand words (here, in case you missed it). Singleton's recent bills have come under attack for being ineffectual, redundant, and possibly racist, but this one takes the cake. The bill itself is such a laughable waste--waste of energy, paper, time, money--that it borders on offensive. How much are we paying Singleton? Whatever it is, it's too much. I want my taxes back!

Singleton introduced the bill to protect symbols associated with religious and secular holidays from being called by other names. What's a secular holiday, you may wonder? Well, like Flag Day, I suppose, or Veterans Day. Is a veteran a symbol? We should hold a contest for local governments to see which can come up with the most creative verbal variations on ‘flags' and ‘veterans'. I, myself, am at a loss. The language of the bill itself seems impossible to define.

"O, Coniferous Tree..." Just Doesn't Have the Same Ring To It

"In Germany and northern Europe, the practice of decorating coniferous trees originated in Pagan times, when the trees were seen as Phallic symbols representing the fertility of the nature gods." (Wikipedia)

The ProJo article was correct in pointing out that the symbol that started it all, the Easter Bunny, isn't even a Christian symbol; it's a pagan one, with no relationship to Jesus Christ except for its modifying noun. Father Healey said that the bunny has a "Christian and a non-Christian significance." I'd like to know what that Christian significance is, and will keep my Bible to hand for anyone who'd like to point out the passage about those sweet pastel-colored, egg-laying bunnies. And the irony of the Christmas tree (another pagan symbol) is just silly.

I don't see the harm in a secular school deciding to create a festival around a character in the literary canon--Peter Rabbit--instead of a ridiculous plush bunny. Hallmark could just have easily called it the Vernal Equinox Bunny, except that their marketing people probably would have objected.

Singleton did say one thing that gave me pause. "Why change things that we hold sacred? Why are they no good now after being used for 200-plus years?" Ah, the old 'we've-done-it-for-two-hundred-years-so-let's-keep-doing-it' arguement! What about slavery? A woman's total obedience to her father or husband? A white man's God-given right to drive natives off his land? Once, these practices were (conveniently) held sacred. Now, not so much.

But I can think of a couple of things that Singleton apparently has a problem with, things that the average American he claims he is trying to protect has held sacred for over 200 years. Things like public service, common sense, and the Bill of Rights.

I, for one, won't be celebrating Easter this year, but Mr. Singleton is free to go ahead and hunt Easter eggs all he wants. I won't even laugh.