“Tony Avella’s a politician with courage, determination and perseverance. Too bad there’s so few like him around.”
Those are the sentiments of Frank Milewski (left), who heads the Downstate N.Y. Division of the Polish American Congress and its Anti-Bigotry Committee, as he congratulates Council Member
Tony Avella outside the Council Chambers in New York’s City Hall.
Both had just stepped out of the Chambers after testifying at a committee hearing where Mr. Avella presented a resolution that requests New York City public schools use Nativity Scenes to properly depict the Christian aspects of the Christmas season.
Although the City’s Department of Education lets the schools display symbols like the Jewish Menorah and Islam’s Star and Crescent during the holiday season, it prohibits the Nativity
Scene for Christians.
The Department currently limits Christians to the use of a Christmas tree as their religious symbol. Avella insists Christians should be allowed to decide what kind of symbol is the appropriate one for them rather than the Department deciding for them.
For Avella, the issues are “fairness” and “discrimination.”
Mr. Avella has been asking his colleagues in the City Council to vote in favor of his resolution as far back as 2007. From his initial introduction of the matter, he continues to receive the support of Bill Donohue’s Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Polish American Congress, among others.
All three organizations testified at the City Council on behalf of New York City’s Catholic community. The committee also heard testimony from the Michigan-based Thomas More Law Center.
The idea of substituting one symbol for another is nothing new, according to Milewski.
His Polish American Congress has many members who grew up in Poland after the Russian Soviets and the Communists took over the country in World War II.
“They tell me how the Catholic bishop, St. Nicholas, was to them what Santa Claus is to American kids. But because St. Nicholas was too much of a Catholic symbol for the Communists to swallow, they created a Marxist character they decided to name “Grandpa Frost” as a substitute.
“That’s why they like what Tony Avella’s doing,” said Milewski.
With last year a presidential election year, his organization conducted an intensive voter registration drive and thought 2009 would be an off-year for any repeat.
“But this Christmas issue has attracted so much attention in our community, we’ll do another drive so we can get as many of our people registered by the time the City Council primary comes up,” he said.
Mr. Avella represents the 19th Council District of northeast Queens with his local office in Bayside.
Contact: Frank Milewski – (718) 263-2700 – ext. 105,
pacdny@verizon.net
