December 8, 2013

The uproar over "gay" Christmas lights in Rome.

"A rainbow-flag theme has been selected for the traditional lights along the city's main shopping street, the Via del Corso. The lights run for almost a mile long."
The right-wing Fratelli d'Italia (Italian Brothers) party labelled the decision "provocative and ideological."

They called for the lights to be replaced with ones showing the three colors of the Italian flag, red, white and green.
Does the expression of Italian national patriotism have anything more to do with Christmas than celebrating the multiplicity of sexual orientations?

21 comments:

Shouting Thomas said...

You are so foolish when it comes to this nonsense, Althouse.

The attack on tradition and family that you support is vicious and destructive. It does not arise from a desire for freedom and equality.

You have a moral blindspot that is common to eggheads when it comes to this crap.

You are easily conned by idealism. This crap is not about idealism, as you will discover as the mess unravels.

Unknown said...

Amazon sells more than trinkets.

Menahem Globus said...

Expressions of patriotism and sexual identity are poor ways to celebrate Christmas. Each is creepy in its own unique way.

Deirdre Mundy said...

The problem is that the Gay Rights movement has taken the rainbow, traditionally a Christian/Jewish symbol, as its sign, and that the modern world forgets what the Rainbow actually is.

It was a sign of the covenant between God and Noah--that we would be His people, and He would be our God, and that he'd never again destroy the world by flood, and that, in due time, he'd send us a savior.

In that sense, Rainbows are totally appropriate at Christmas, because Christmas celebrates the fulfillment of that covenant, when God became man to set us free from the shackles of sin.

It's actually really, really odd that the gays use this as their sign, since they're basically advocating for a worldview in which pleasure in the present is the absolute goal.

Where did the gay rainbow thing come from, anyway?

Deirdre Mundy said...

According to Wikipedia, they use it because Judy Garland sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

Um..... Ok.... lets just cling to stereotypes of shallowness and pathetic behavior......

Seriously? And modern gays are OK with that and not embarrassed at all?

Webmaster said...

Sorry, but the rainbow flag doesn't celebrate "the multiplicity of sexual orientations."

It celebrates one.

Shouting Thomas said...

New York City is headed toward a wave of black gang violence against whites, as the idealists ignore tradition and refuse to learn from the past. Because ideals are more important than what actually happens as a result of human experience.

You deliberately refuse to learn the lesson of the AIDS epidemic, Althouse. Your behavior here has been preposterous. I have never spoken to you personally, so it is difficult for me to know how you have fallen into this stupidity.

You are just bizarrely confused here. Hard to say whether your motives are just plain evil. Could be. As I said, I don't really know you personally.

tim maguire said...

Given that red, green, and white are common Christmas colors, maybe Italian national patriotism is itself a celebration of Christmas.

Deirdre Mundy said...

If the goal isn't pleasure in the present, why all the focus on 'our right to have sex, get government benefits, and have everyone approve of our behaviors?"

Isn't that all really about the here and the now? About refusing to accept traditional ideas about sin and the need for redemption?

It's a cry of "We don't need a savior, because we're fine the way we are!" It's the opposite of the idea that Jesus came to save everyone, because they're declaring themselves beyond the need of salvation. In fact, rather than salvation, they're seeking CELEBRATION.

I mean, we're a secular society, so that's fine and they have a right to scream it from the rooftops if they want... it's just odd that they've chosen that particular symbol to do it.....

And yes, my knowledge of the rainbow flag, as I said, came from Wikipedia. So if you have a problem with it, I suggest you make some edits to the entry!

Deirdre Mundy said...

I don't write about gay rights professionally-- only for Althouse. Seriously, why would you argue gay rights in a math book??? Those articles are for things like "This is how NASA sends probes to Mars." Or "Here's how quickly a single case of measles can become an epidemic."

Why does everything have to be about gay rights???

At this point, no, we don't even discuss gay marriage with our kids. They're not at an age where it's an appropriate discussion to have.

Is everything about politics for you?

Because for most of us, there are other interests and other things in life!

Deirdre Mundy said...

And, oh, because it doesn't necessarily show up anywhere else (unless you do a Google search for my name and read all the comments.)

Yes, I'm Un-apologetically Catholic, and pro-life, and I wholeheartedly accept all the teachings of the Catechism.

Pretty much anyone with access to Google can discover these things about me.

Because I'm not anonymous. I'm an actual human being, not a sock puppet.

bleh said...

Colored Christmas lights are tacky.

Just do white lights and don't be tacky. I'm surprised the gays would want to be so tacky.

That is all.

Clyde said...

When in Athens, do as the Athenians do.

Ann Althouse said...

@Deirdre Sorry I took so long to notice the troll and delete. I had to take down your responses to.

Ann Althouse said...

There are some good issues raised in the post. Don't let the obvious troll distract you. All her posts are always deleted, always unread. Avert your eye like I do.

Freeman Hunt said...

I'd rather Christmas lights just celebrated Christmas or, if looking for something secular, winter and the ability to put up pretty lights to brighten the seasonal darkness.

Including the patriotic or the political in Christmas decorations seems in poor taste.

B said...

Ann Althouse said...I had to take down your responses to.

I did not know that taking down responses as well as the trolling comments themselves was your policy. My comment at 9:50 is also a response to the troll.

MadisonMan said...

People who complain (You want to complain? Look at these shoes! I've only had them three weeks and the heels are worn right through!) about things like this should just fund a better light display.

Show them the superiority of traditions!

Renee said...

White is the color of Christmas, because it is a Holy Day.

Green and red are cultural.

My tree has colored lights with purple, blue, and orange ornaments.

MadisonMan said...

Then people can say, Look at these FABulous lights! And they don't celebrate gays at all!!!

Surely that's something to strive for: Christmas light decorations that are heteronormative!

Ann Althouse said...

"I did not know that taking down responses as well as the trolling comments themselves was your policy. My comment at 9:50 is also a response to the troll."

I'm expunging the name, so if you didn't use it, I probably wouldn't take it out, but I might. Sorry about the distraction.