So sorry our holiday spirit offends you!

[Felica]

LOL, you folks crack me up!

Nosy neighbor just called me back. It's begun now. (And oh, isn't she tickled to have something to gossip about)She tells me that another neighbor of ours has decided that after the annual christmas parade, he shall bring home the ten foot tall santa and reindeers from the float he's pulling and set them up in his front yard. And the neighbor across the street from her is actually googling to find out how the guy with all the lights and music did it to see if he can replicate it .

It should be an interesting holiday this year....

[Aeris]

I'm sorry, but couldn't this attitude be considered a hate crime if you really wanted to press the issue?  It seems that if a Jewish person put a symbol of one of their holidays in the yard or in a window visible from the street and received an anonymous letter saying these decorations were offensive, it would be considered a hate crime.

No.  It would not be a hate crime.  No jurisdiction in the United States has a law purporting to make it a hate crime.

Of course, if one listens to propaganda about "oh noes they're trying to criminalize Christianity," you would think it could be a hate crime.  But it's not.  Not even close.

Now, if someone reacted to a religious display by going to their house and attacking them, or (in some jurisdictions) vandalizing their house, and their motivation was religious animosity, THAT would be a hate crime.  You might even get hit with a hate crime charge if you left a threatening note.  ("Take it down or we will kill you.")  But regular speech cannot be prosecuted as a hate crime, whatever the propagandists tell us.

Here here.

For it to be a hate crime, I believe that an actual crime must have occured. "Hate crime" is just a subset of crimes, those with a particular motivation. (Yes, I realize that they may have committed mail fraud, but that's not really the idea they're going for - usually 'hate crime' laws attach to murder, assault, rape, etc.)

OOPS!  Sorry, I didn't mean to use such a wrong term to describe what I was trying to say.  I've seen a lot of things on the local news lately about "hate crimes" where offensive words were the only "crime".  I guess I would have been more accurate to describe it as an attitude of intolerance and forget the media hype.  Sorry.

No worries!
There's a lot of hype on hate crimes on both sides of the political fence - it's unfortunate. I'm all for a healthy debate over what hate crimes *actually are*, but when either side (bc they both do it) intentionally spreads misinformation about what a hate crime actually is in order to rile people up, it just drives me batty.

If you've been seeing stuff on the news where there was no actual crime, that's probably why.

[hjaye]

Isn't it a federal offense to put non-stamped mail in someone's mailbox?  I would call your local Post Office and ask.  

And ignore their request.  Some of us who don't celebrate Christmas *enjoy* looking at your decorations!!  

I'm not sure if it's a federal offense, but it is against the law.

[Penguin]

Count me in the "Someone's stirring up trouble for fun" camp.  We hear about something like this every few years, usually pinned on atheists or members of another religious group, with no proof.  I'd carry on as normal, and brush off conversation about it.

 - an atheist who puts lights up 'cause they're pretty.

[Aeris]

Title 18. Section 1725. Postage unpaid on deposited mail matter

      Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits any mailable matter such
    as statements of accounts, circulars, sale bills, or other like
    matter, on which no postage has been paid, in any letter box
    established, approved, or accepted by the Postal Service for the
    receipt or delivery of mail matter on any mail route with intent to
    avoid payment of lawful postage thereon, shall for each such
    offense be fined under this title.

[anechka]

I'm sorry, but couldn't this attitude be considered a hate crime if you really wanted to press the issue?  It seems that if a Jewish person put a symbol of one of their holidays in the yard or in a window visible from the street and received an anonymous letter saying these decorations were offensive, it would be considered a hate crime.

No.  It would not be a hate crime.  No jurisdiction in the United States has a law purporting to make it a hate crime.

Of course, if one listens to propaganda about "oh noes they're trying to criminalize Christianity," you would think it could be a hate crime.  But it's not.  Not even close.

Now, if someone reacted to a religious display by going to their house and attacking them, or (in some jurisdictions) vandalizing their house, and their motivation was religious animosity, THAT would be a hate crime.  You might even get hit with a hate crime charge if you left a threatening note.  ("Take it down or we will kill you.")  But regular speech cannot be prosecuted as a hate crime, whatever the propagandists tell us.

Although it could be prosecuted as a federal offense of putting un-stamped mail.  I don't recall the statute, but it MAY be mail fraud.  Also, if this is not genuine, then it's definitely mail fraud. 

[kitten]

lol, sorry I think that would make me just get the biggest, brightest, Christmas display I can find.

Wouldn't it be funny if it was kinda like a reverse psychology prank? Like someone wants an entire neighborhood of really overly decorated homes, so s/he just told everyone to not do that because it offends someone...of course that would annoy everyone into over decorating. lol

[Salvage3]

I am soooooooooo non-creative, but I can't get the picture of a Grinch in every yard (along with the other displays) with either a sign on him or something reflecting that he (the Grinch) lost the battle.

[Kiara]

LOL, you folks crack me up!

Nosy neighbor just called me back. It's begun now. (And oh, isn't she tickled to have something to gossip about)She tells me that another neighbor of ours has decided that after the annual christmas parade, he shall bring home the ten foot tall santa and reindeers from the float he's pulling and set them up in his front yard. And the neighbor across the street from her is actually googling to find out how the guy with all the lights and music did it to see if he can replicate it .

It should be an interesting holiday this year....

One word.

PICTURES!

 

[MyFamily]

I really hope this is a prank.

I've been fairly vocal about my religious beliefs on this board, and about my less than love of this time of the year.  That said - this letter writer, if they are serious, is like the vegetarian who crams their beliefs down non-vegetarian's throats and throws hissy fits when someone eats meat in their presence.  Yes, I think the blow-up nativity scene that my neighbor puts up is tacky, but it is their right to put it up.  And if I ever meet those neighbors and they ask me if I like their decorations, I'll even say I like their decorations, just so we can be good neighbors.  I really hope this is a prank.

a poster who keeps her blinds down almost all of December, rarely goes shopping and keeps her eyes on the road even when she isn't the driver during this month

[fireside1942]

It's ridiculous.

Don't assume it should be taken at face value, though.  It could be a prank.  It could also be religious-political dirty trickery (i.e. sent to stir up trouble and support some person's argument that the awful liberals and atheists are trying to steal everyone's Christmas).

Of course, if one listens to propaganda about "oh noes they're trying to criminalize Christianity," you would think it could be a hate crime.  But it's not.  Not even close.

But regular speech cannot be prosecuted as a hate crime, whatever the propagandists tell us.

Awful liberals & atheists being persecuted by the "propaganda" ?  Please stop.  I think you are unnecessarily politicizing this topic.

[bopper]

So, really, who the heck knows? I told the neighbor I talked with on the phone that the best thing to do would be pretend we never got it and go on as usual. I don't know if the others will agree with that, but we'll see.

I just can't get over it if it is real.

I think I might consider bringing it to the police station to say that you got this note, that you have no intention of complying with it, but if there is any vandalism that you wanted to let them know somebody maybe unhappy.

[Twik]

Anonymous letter writers are, of course, the lowest of the low.

On rereading the letter, I'm tending more towards "prank and/or intent to stir up trouble". It's too well written, somehow, to be the product of a mind that feels it can control the decorations on the whole street. I'd expect someone that entitled to use A LOT OF CAPS AND EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!!1!

[willow08]

Dear offended neighbor,

No.

Foxxy, you should put cathy's quote on a big sign and post it next to your lovely holiday display.

Is it possible this is the work of crazy snowwoman-hating neighbor lady?

Honestly, if Christmas decorations bother someone that much, they probably shouldn't leave their house because it's not like the decorations end at the neighborhood.

[morgielefae]

Count me in on the "it's a hoax" side, too. It smacks of those emails forwards that go around every few years about Christmas being in jeopardy or whatever, in hopes people will get offended and go nuts trying to prove their christmas spirit. Obviously one of your neighbors wanted to take that into real life. If it IS real, what the heck? I'm a Pagan myself, but I'm not offended by Christmas decorations. Heck, we still put them up, as Mom is a Christan. We just compromise about what to put up. (I love our tree. We use ribbons and a huge bow instead of garland and an angel.) Anyone who would get offended by decorations takes themselves far, far too seriously. Lighten up and enjoy the pretty lights.