It's a Christmas miracle---arriving under the cover of a wintery Florida night, a Nativity scene appearing on the Polk County Commission's grounds. Okay...
not so much a miracle:
Knowing the Polk County Commission has refused to sanction Nativity scenes on government property, a group of Baptist grandparents took Christmas into their own hands Wednesday.
Under the cover of night, they erected a manger scene on the lawn of the Neil Combee County Administration Building. And now the question is whether commissioners will evict Baby Jesus before his birthday.
Wednesday's covert mission accomplished what other church groups have failed to do in recent months: move Mary, Joseph and child onto a grassy plot near the center of the county's court, government and sheriff offices.
more below...
Oh, those crafty geriatrics! They just couldn't wait for the pastors' association to get a permit so they took matters into their own hands. Oh, that's right...the Polk County Pastors' Prayer Ministry
did file for a permit and was
denied.
To add to the yuletide intrigue, Commissioner Randy Wilkinson---a wingnut extraordinaire emboldened by the Bush "mandate"---was a witness to the late night shenanigans:
For months now, though, County Commissioner Randy Wilkinson has pushed for a Nativity scene on county property. Wilkinson did not take credit Thursday for what might be considered a Baptist version of civil disobedience.
But Wilkinson said he saw the group of about 35 people working on the display Wednesday night.
"I was just driving by," Wilkinson said. "Not participating in it."
Sure, pal.
This is sweet vindication for this oh-so-moral lad after getting no seconds on his motion to cut funding for our county museum because it presented, among other scandalous things, "Fahrenheit 9/11".
Unfortunately for Wilkinson, Christianity isn't the only religion in Polk County, much less the world...and Christmas isn't the only celebration in December. Days after the manger appeared on government property, this sprung up in the middle of the night:
...followed by a crudely scribbled holiday greeting from a radio morning talk show crew...followed by an elderly woman's tribute to the Persian prophet Zoroaster...
Okay, folks...here's the real miracle: the good ol' boy county seat of Polk County, Florida's "Bush Country Central" itself, voted 4-1 to make the front lawn of the Neil Combee County Administration Building a temporary free speech zone. The price of admission is a simple letter of request.
So, the Nativity scene and the homemade Zoroaster sign will stay until Monday since their owners are presenting the Commission with a letter asking for retroactive permission. Festivus won't be for the rest of us, however---alas, no one has claimed responsibility. Yet, grievances were still aired.