Moses Lake ends religious holiday depictions

Citizen concern leads to dismantling of display

MOSES LAKE — Citizens won't be seeing a Nativity scene on public property in Moses Lake again.

Councilmember Brent Reese informed council Tuesday night he received a letter from someone who did not want the scene up and who was concerned about the separation of church and state. The scene was featured for the majority of December in Neppel Park and was taken down in late December.

City Manager Joe Gavinski said when he heard the concern, the scene was taken down. Nothing like it will be placed on public property again, he said.

Councilmember Dick Deane asked about the possibility of having all religions represented rather than eliminating one.

Gavinski said there could be legal repercussions.

The city will not know what could be portrayed or how much, he said. There is still room for people to get upset and seek legal action, he added.

City Attorney Jim Whitaker referenced one city who tried to allow all religions to be present on public property during the holidays.

Swastikas and other symbols were displayed causing citizens to be upset with what they saw, he said. Eventually the city did away with all religious depiction's on public property.

Most people are not aware of the origins of the swastika, which was a Buddhist symbol in China and Japan long before Nazi Germany reversed its direction and adopted it as their national symbol.

Whitaker said the Christmas tree decorating was acceptable because it is secular, not religious.

"That's too bad," said Reese about the dismantling.

In December, a rabbi demanded a menorah symbol be placed among Christmas trees at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport or he would file a lawsuit. Airport officials took the trees down in response.

The demand drew national attention and criticism of the rabbi, his tactic, his initial demand and the airport's response.

The airport put the trees back up without the menorah. This decision to return the trees is because the trees are considered secular by past state court decisions and allowable on government property.