Chase orders Southlake bank to remove Christmas tree

[The Straight Story]

Chase orders Southlake bank to remove Christmas tree

SOUTHLAKE -- Chase Bank told a businessman to remove the Christmas tree he donated to a local branch because it could offend people.

Antonio Morales, owner of Bellagio Day Spa in Southlake, had assembled and decorated a 9-foot-tall tree in the lobby of the Chase Bank branch at 1700 E. Southlake Boulevard as a favor to the branch manager, who is one of his clients.

The tree remained in the lobby from the Monday before Thanksgiving until Tuesday. Morales said his friend called him Wednesday to tell him the tree had to go. She later showed him an e-mail from JPMorgan Chase saying that the tree had to be removed because some people were offended by it.

The bank referred questions to corporate offices.

Greg Hassell, a JPMorgan Chase spokesman, said that the company's policy isn't anti-Christmas. "People wish their customers merry Christmas when it's appropriate," he said.


Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/12/02/2676274/jpmorgan-chase-orders-southlake.html#ixzz17B7D8byc

[bluestateguy]

1. Who is offended by a Christmas tree?

And keep in mind here that Chase is not the government. They are a private company.

[PBS Poll-435]

2. Saw this on the news last night

Chase put the tree back up at their expense.

[Angry Dragon]

3. The world is going to hell

[treestar]

4. What state is this in?

[PBS Poll-435]

5. Texas

About 25 miles from me.

[Mimosa]

6. Trees decorated and glowing are a positive symbol of light and good things

No matter one's faith (or even no faith) a glowing tree is a happy making sight. :D

And a pagan symbol going back to the tree worshipping Druids, according to some. ;)

[Recursion]

7. I wonder which direction they're worried about

People who just don't want any public sign of Christmas, or people who think Christmas trees are pagan idolotry? (That is actually in one of Paul's epistles.) Or both, maybe. Or just knee-jerk middle management insistence that all branches look the same?

[kestrel91316]

8. I think it's thin-skinned rabid fundies getting all huffy and making like

NO expressions of holiday spirit are allowed because of THOSE MEAN ATHEISTS, when in fact there is no demand from the nonreligious that they be removed.

[rainbow4321]

9. Update on the news today: The tree is going back up

Heard a snippit on the radio. And how in the hell does someone spend $3,000 on a tree, cuz that is what they said the guy spent on it.

[Sonoman]

10. Go buy a 9' tree and load it with really beautiful, hand-made ornaments.

You will whip through $3K right quick-like.

Sonoman

[FarCenter]

11. It's Chase's policy to put up company supplied decorations

IIRC, they have Christmas, Hannukah, and Kwanzaa decorations in some offices.

But letting employees bring in and put up whatever they fancy is a problem. Then the company gets put in the position of deciding that Jim's decorations are tasteful, innoffensive, and fire-safe, but Judy's are not. Chaos (and possible lawsuits) ensues.

[OutNow]

12. I used to work at that office complex

Southlake / Westlake is an office complex north of DFW airport. I worked there for several years when it opened in the late 80's. When I had customers from out of town coming to a product briefing I'll tell them to head north out of the airport and when they got to the office complex that looked like either a giant building painted pepto bismol pink or a block of low buildings that looked like a prison they were at the right place. Very strange.