Utica fire chief says ‘Happy Birthday Jesus, We Love You’ sign is here to stay
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Utica Fire Chief Russell Brooks says he will fight the efforts by a Wisconsin organization to force the firefighters at Firehouse No. 4 to remove a sign that says “Happy Birthday Jesus, We Love You.” from in front of the fire station. The sign has been displayed during the Christmas season for more than a decade. The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) believes ” The Utica Fire Department should not send them this exclusionary and alienating message.”
Brooks say the Station 4 firefighters started putting the sign up after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
“9/11 brought a lot of the guys closer to God, and they just wanted to show their faith in Jesus,” Brooks said. “They had no idea a controversy would arise.”
Brooks says earlier this year, when he first started receiving the letters from FFRF, he contacted a not-for-profit national law firm called The Thomas More Law Center based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
According to its website, “The Thomas More Law Center’s mission is to restore and defend America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and moral values, and to preserve a strong national defense, and a free and sovereign United States of America.
Brooks says The Thomas More Law Center has vowed to take this case to court pro-bono if someone does bring a case against the fire department.
Brooks says most government entities back down to such threats, but he says he won’t.
An attorney from the Freedom From Religion Foundation based in Madison, Wisconsin contacted Fire Chief Russell Brooks of the Utica Fire Department about the sign at Fire Station 4 in April, after hearing the sign, a Santa and toy soldier were displayed outside the fire station during the 2013 holiday season.
“It is inappropriate and unconstitutional for a government entity to display the sign described above because it conveys a preference by the City of Utica for religion over nonreligion,” the lawyer wrote.
Not only is it “bad policy” for a government agency to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the lawyer says, but the sign excludes Jews, Muslims, Native Americans and nonreligious people.
