enjoy

Michael Mayo
Sun Sentinel Columnist
6:46 p.m. EST, December 16, 2013

From a beer-can Festivus pole in the Florida capitol to garish displays at neighborhood homes that trigger complaints about traffic jams, 'tis the season for some folks to get bent out of shape over the way others express their holiday (or irreligious) spirit.

To which I say: Can't we all get along?

Is it offensive for an atheist to celebrate a made-up holiday from a TV sitcom with a beer-can tower in the Florida capitol rotunda, right next to the baby Jesus himself? (My answer: Hell no!) And: If your neighbor puts up a gaudy display that looks as if Santa hurled Christmas cheer all over his lawn, would you be able to shrug off the crowds and commotion? (My answer: Depends on how good a case of wine the neighbor left on my doorstep in compensatory damages.)


Michael Mayo
Michael Mayo
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Deerfield blogger takes Festivus pole to Florida Capitol
Deerfield blogger takes Festivus pole to Florida Capitol
An 8-foot-tall aluminum Festivus Pole near a Nativity display in Deerfield Beach. Photo: Amy Beth Bennett, Sun Sentinel / December 6, 2012
An 8-foot-tall aluminum Festivus Pole near a Nativity display in Deerfield Beach. Photo: Amy Beth Bennett, Sun Sentinel / December 6, 2012

For some, Jesus might be the reason for the season. But in a multicultural society, a multitude of viewpoints (and styles) should be expected. And celebrated. Neighbors should be neighborly, and try to follow the Golden Rule when it comes to displays on private property. And governments that allow holiday displays in public spaces must be open to a wide range of expression.

In this season of peace and goodwill, that means just saying yes to Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus and Protestivus.


"Protestivus – I like that," said Deerfield Beach blogger and activist Chaz Stevens, who has received worldwide attention for his Seinfeld-inspired Festivus pole made from Pabst Blue Ribbon cans. Stevens, an avowed atheist, doesn't like the mixing of church and state. He got permission to display his six-foot beer-can pole in the Florida capitol after reading about a nativity scene in the rotunda.

"Why? For the sheer stupidity of it," Stevens told me Monday. "In a perfect world, there should be zero religious displays on government property. God does not belong in the Florida rotunda. But if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

Photos: Notable South Floridians who died in 2013

Since going up last Wednesday, Stevens' Festivus pole has been saluted by The Daily Show, The Colbert Report and The Simpsons. He also has been lambasted by assorted Fox News personalities. "The reaction has been astounding – I was trending on Twitter," Stevens said.

Last year, Stevens put a taller beer-can Festivus pole on city land in Deerfield Beach, next to a creche and menorah. This year, city officials banned all holiday displays at the site.

"He ruined it for everyone," said Caryl Berner, who displayed a menorah on the lot near a firehouse.

Sorry, but I respectfully disagree. If government is going to allow holiday displays on public land, it can't pick and choose which ones are acceptable or nonsensical.

That's the serious point behind Stevens' provocative joke. I'm glad he's taken his show to Tallahassee this year, a drive he called "a thousand miles of pain in the ass."

"I'm definitely no Grinch," Stevens said.

This week, he plans to send mini-Festivus poles (four cans tall) to Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and Fox News host Gretchen Carlson. And come Jan. 3, he plans to fetch his Festivus pole from the capitol and put it up for auction on eBay. He said the proceeds will go to charity.

Now that's the holiday spirit.

And this story is on our blog why????

Because chazzy fruit loops put a beer can pole by a nativity scene in Tallahassee and got national attention.

Some how that makes him relevant?????

Wow

Actually that makes him a rock star! And you wonder why he doesn't bother with the CCPD anymore. Don't blame him one bit.

Actually that makes him a rock star! And you wonder why he doesn't bother with the CCPD anymore. Don't blame him one bit.

TRUE.
Seriously. The dude was on more than a couple nationally televised cable T.V. shows as well as other forms of media, and your rationale is .... what? He had all this exposure and not relevant because you deem it not relevant..... ?

Your logic, or formula for your logic is completely exposed as a fraud. Which is what we have been saying all along. Which is the same logic you apply to defending that empty uniform up top. And his former #2 with his reign of terror, until he was gone. The same logic that defends an unstable Sergeant. (I would also use the 'emtpy uniform' bit, but the uniform is more than full, so....) The same logic that says people with opinions are bottom feeders because they choose to express them on social media. You're an idiot and a bully. poof

Actually in was international attn. as in world wide.

We love Chaz at the HuffPo.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/victor-lo ... 55870.html

Those self serving post are pretty funny. Timmy really does love himself

Those self serving post are pretty funny. Timmy really does love himself

Ignorant. Sheep. Baaa-baaa. 'Timmy' has done a lot. For a lot of people. It aint him posting his tributes, so go **** yourself, you unhappy loser

Mommy make them stop making fun of me. Please act like your a cop here and call them out. I earned that promotion!!! So what I was #8 and they promoted 6. So what I was the leased qualified out of the top ten. I earned it other ways!!!

Oh yea Timmy has done sooooo much. He is alcoholic foul mouthed jerk. Who attacks people he hasn't met on the word of anonymous keyboard cowards for money. What a great guy.