New Jersey town official quits over "Christmas Tree Lighting" ceremony - then takes it back? Should she be allowed to "take it back"?

2015-12-06T17:58:19-05:00

"I QUIT!!!
Nah, (tee-hee-hee) I was jus kiddin...!"

What the....? RUFKM???
I guess losing that paycheck wasn't worth it...

ROSELLE PARK, N.J. — A New Jersey city council's decision to add the word "Christmas" to the name of its tree-lighting ceremony prompted one council member to step down because it "turned it from a non-religious event to a religious one."

Charlene Storey announced her decision just minutes after the Roselle Park council approved the change Thursday night, NJ.com reported. She later rescinded her resignation, which was supposed to take effect on Jan. 7, the newspaper reported.

Storey, who was raised Catholic but describes herself as a non-believer, said the town's decision to change the ceremony's name from "A Tree Lighting" to "A Christmas Tree Lighting" favors one religion and "cuts non-Christians out of the loop."

When she handed in her resignation, Storey said she regretted her decision but called the issue a matter of principle.

"I cannot in good conscience continue to be part of a council that is exclusionary or to work with a mayor who is such," Storey said in her resignation letter. After rescinding her resignation, Storey said she still disagreed with the renaming and would not attend the event, according to NJ.com.

Roselle Park Mayor Carl Hokanson, who proposed the move, praised Storey for her work on the council. He said everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, but added that each town can use whatever title it wants to use for the ceremony.

"I can't believe that people are going this crazy over this," he said. "There are more important things going on in this world."

"It's not a street, it's not a building, it's a Christmas tree," Hokanson added.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/new-jersey-town-official-quits-over-christmas-tree-lighting-ceremony-n474916

New Jersey Town Official Quits Over 'Christmas' Tree Lighting Ceremony

The Roselle Park council member said she regretted having to resign but called the issue a matter of principle.

Response by Cpl Shane Cunningham made Dec 6 at 2015 6:10 PM

2015-12-06T18:10:39-05:00

I'm so sick of PC!

Response by MSG Brad Sand made Dec 6 at 2015 6:14 PM

2015-12-06T18:14:47-05:00

Accept her resignation but not her rescinding of the resignation.
Thank you for resigning. Bye.

Response by CPT Ahmed Faried made Dec 6 at 2015 8:01 PM

2015-12-06T20:01:47-05:00

So she has something against trees, lights or Christmas? Which is the "in" thing to hate these days?

Response by SGT Jerrold Pesz made Dec 7 at 2015 12:52 AM

2015-12-07T00:52:26-05:00

I think that she should just go ahead and stick to her decision to quit. Otherwise she just looks like a greedy hypocrite.

Response by MSgt Steven Holt, NRP, CCEMT-P made Dec 7 at 2015 10:03 AM

2015-12-07T10:03:46-05:00

If she has that much lack of self control, she should not be in public service to start with. "Thank you for your resignation. Now, don't let the door hit ya where the Good Lord split ya on the way out!"

Response by SA Harold Hansmann made Dec 24 at 2015 2:25 PM

2015-12-24T14:25:06-05:00

Somebody, give her some big girl panties that she can pull up!!!!