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The Grinch that Sued Christmas
NEW YORK CITY -- In a surprise move the ACLU filed suit against the
New York Times
for violating the establishment clause of the First Amendment, specifically by accepting advertisements from retailers for Christmas sale items.
"As the nation's so-called 'newspaper of record' the
Times
has occupies a special place in the vaunted Fourth Estate," said local ACLU Director Clinton Svinktaogle. "And
even as a virtual branch of
government, they should not be exempt from the separation of church and state guaranteed by the Constitution."
The suit was filed on behalf of atheist, Theodore Grimace, who claims that the advertisements offended his sensibilities and caused him great mental anguish and stress.
"This ridiculous action is nothing but a legal lump of coal," said Publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. "Yeah, we're gonna fight it -- Bah humbug on those guys."
The term Fourth Estate refers to the press, both in its explicit capacity of advocacy and in its implicit ability to frame political issues. The term goes back at least to Thomas Carlyle in the first half of the 19th century.
Walmart, Macy's, Target and others have filed
amicus
briefs in support of the
Times
, claiming that the ban would irrevocably hurt the U.S. economy by depressing sales during retail's most important sales period of the year.
"Whether a manger in the town square or a religious carol sung in a school or a Tickle Me Elmo on sale at Christmas," retorted Svinktaogle, "there are some things just more important than this country."
©
2008
MFTHPPPGT
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