It seems everyone has an opinion on Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee's decision to call the 17-foot-tall blue spruce recently erected in the State House a holiday tree rather than a Christmas tree.
The story was on the homepage of MSN.com on Wednesday.
It got a live interview for state Rep. Doreen Costa on Fox News's national morning show, because she said on Tuesday the tree should be called a Christmas tree.
The Catholic church also weighed-in locally.
"At this time of year, obviously we're preparing for the birth of Jesus. So trying to be inclusive, he's at the same time excluding a large portion of the state's population," said the Rev. James Ruggeri of St. Patrick's Church in Providence.
However, a Baptist minister said the flap over the tree shouldn't be an issue to people who care about Christmas.
"It really doesn't matter what the tree is called. Instead of focusing on the real meaning of what we should be at Christmas time," said Rev. Donald Anderson of the Council of Churches.
But in the public, there's still a reaction.
"It's Christmas. I don't tell anybody to call anything else a different name. It's Christmas. It's a Christmas tree," said Phil Kaczorowski of North Smithfield.
NBC 10 Political Analyst Wendy Schiller said the reaction is being exploited.
"The governor's opponents have been trying to portray him as out of touch for months now, and I think this is another example they want to point to," Schiller said.
But the governor's not wavering.
"Times are changing. We have to change with the times. And there are those who say the whole idea of Christmas is so removed from faith, it's not worth protecting anymore," Chafee said Wednesday.
"I think we should be celebrating Kwanzaa anyway. When was the last time you heard anybody talking about Jesus, Mary, or the star? Christmas is all about shopping and Black Friday," said a Providence man who called himself E-Double.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence is planning to light a Christmas tree at St. Patrick's Church on Smith Street as an alternative to Chafee's tree lighting event. Both events take place on Dec. 6.
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