No surprise that some of the brightest holidays take place on the darkest of days. It’s society’s way of turning Mother Nature’s climatic lemons into celebratory lemonade. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve are prime examples, tailored to light up the landscape and bolster spirits. Add dramatic flair from the season’s colorful, often zany political theater, and our fall and winter crackle with heated polemics as well. But what glitters for some doesn’t glow for others, especially in the area of religion and politics…which raises a few questions:
Is there a place for religion in a community newsletter?
If we were living in a theocracy like Saudi Arabia, the answer would be an unqualified “Of course!” Conversely, if we were living in a secular totalitarian dictatorship like North Korea, “No way!” But ours is a pluralistic country, governed by a unique and often contentious blend of local majority rule and constitutional protections with respect to religion. Thus, the first sentence in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights, often referred to as the “Establishment Clause,” prohibits the State from either “establishing” religion or “prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” in effect guarding against the tyranny of the majority, be it religious or secular. Applying this principle to a community newsletter that caters to a diverse group of residents—some religiously affiliated, some not—the answer to our question becomes obvious: yes to informational articles about religious holidays and associated activities, but no to quoting of liturgy or proselytizing of any sort.
Should a community newsletter accept ads that commercialize religious holidays?
Like it or not, just about everything in this capitalist country of ours is commercialized, including religious holidays. Yes, it’s a logical extension of the profit motive, but there’s more to it than that. Business owners didn’t invent Santa Claus, nor did they come up with the idea of a present each night during the eight days of Hanukkah. The secular trappings of these holidays evolved over a long period of time, primarily for the enjoyment of our children, and today’s commercialization of religious holidays is as ubiquitous as the religious observances themselves. Business owners shouldn’t be penalized for going with the flow and accommodating demand.
Should a community newsletter include coverage of the political season?
While neighborhood associations are prohibited by the City from directly engaging in partisan politics, some do invite candidates and ballot measure advocates to general meetings to air points of view, which are then reported in newsletters. But if an invitation is extended to one candidate for a particular office, then, out of fairness, it also must be extended to the competitors, sometimes several in number. Thus, to save meeting time and newsletter space, many neighborhood associations, including BWNA, will opt to refer residents to community political forums, like the ones organized by Concordia and Rose City Park. Our newsletter happily follows suit, sidestepping political sparks while enjoying the holiday lights.