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Business to Long Island: No Christmas, no fireworks

The annual battle for Christmas has begun early this year, with the announcement that the internationally known fireworks company, Grucci, has pulled out of an annual Christmas event on Long Island, reports John Jalsevac, LifeSiteNews.com.

Grucci made the decision in protest against the town of Patchogue’s decision to break with its 15-year tradition of holding a Christmas Boat Parade and instead to rename the event the Patchogue Holiday Boat Parade.

Grucci vice president Phil Butler, a vocal critic of the secularization of Christmas, accused the parade’s organizers of “using all the themes of Christmas and plagiarizing all those themes.” Grucci is headquartered on Long Island.

"When I think about fireworks, I don't think about Christmas anyway," Mayor Paul Pontieri said in response to Grucci’s decision. "I think about the Fourth of July."

Catholic League president Bill Donohue commended Butler’s decision. “If more people like Phil Butler stood up to the high priests of political correctness, the dumbing-down of Christmas would cease.”

“Christmas is the only holiday that is singled out by these authoritarians,” continued Donohue. “They do not object to Jewish or Muslim holidays, nor do they object to holidays like Martin Luther King Day. And they relish Kwanzaa celebrations. But when it comes to Christmas, they quickly become censors.

“So Kudos to Grucci. Let this be the first of many counterpunches thrown at the cultural fascists this year.”

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TAGS: USA Long Island Christmas fireworks company Grucci

[10/28/2008]

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