http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20051007/PARKING07/TPInternational/TopStories
[excerpt]
The separation of church, state and parking regulations
.... the list to expand further, despite some grumbling from the city's
atheists that the observance of holy days violates the separation of church
and state
NEW YORK -- New York's car owners are an ecumenical breed. They observe
Rosh Hashanah with Jews, All Saints' Day with Roman Catholics, Eid al-Fitr
with Muslims and now, thanks to a new motion passed by city council, Diwali
with the city's burgeoning Hindu population.
While the various faithful have their own traditions on those holidays, all
New Yorkers enjoy a break from the relentless enforcement of alternate-side
parking rules, which require car owners to move their vehicles to
accommodate weekly street cleaning.
New York drivers tend to know their parking vacation days as well as they
know their kids' school calendars.
In fact, the savvy driver will be looking next week for a spot with a
Tuesday cleaning day. Park in a Tuesday spot on Oct. 12 and you won't have
to move your vehicle in a month of Tuesdays, thanks to the Jewish holidays
of Succot and Shemini Atzeret, the Catholics' All Saints' Day and Election
Day.
(It is not unheard of for New Yorkers to leave their car parked and unused
for a month -- taking public transit -- and move it only for the street
cleaners.)
Parking politics play no small part in which ethnic or religious community
is blessed with New York's official recognition by having its holidays or
holy days exempted from regular alternate-side parking rules.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg has previously opposed the expansion of the number
of parking holidays, arguing a growing list makes for a dirty city. Three
years ago, he vetoed the addition of Purim, Ash Wednesday and Lunar New
Year, but was overruled by council.
Mr. Bloomberg, who is running for re-election, may well veto the council's
motion to include Diwali. But in doing so, he would risk the wrath of a
large and politically active constituency.
Diwali, the most important Hindu celebration of the year, represents the
culmination of the festival of lights, marking the renewal of life. It is
marked this year on Nov. 1, though the date changes with the lunar
calendar.
[end of excerpt]
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Posting and reading from alt.politics.usa.constitution OR alt.education
You are invited to check out the following:
The Rise of the Theocratic States of America
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocracy.htm
American Theocrats - Past and Present
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocrats.htm
The Constitutional Principle: Separation of Church and State
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
[and to join the discussion group for the above site and/or Separation of
Church and State in general, listed below]
HRSepCnS · Hampton Roads [Virginia] SepChurch&State
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HRSepCnS/
[Its not just Hampton Roads folks who are members, there are members from
all over the U.S. and a couple from overseas as well]
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.. . . You can't understand a phrase such as "Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion" by syllogistic reasoning. Words
take their meaning from social as well as textual contexts, which is why "a
page of history is worth a volume of logic." New York Trust Co. v. Eisner,
256 U.S. 345, 349, 41 S.Ct. 506, 507, 65 L.Ed. 963 (1921) (Holmes, J.).
Sherman v. Community Consol. Dist. 21, 980 F.2d 437, 445 (7th Cir. 1992)
.. . .
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THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE:
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
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