A Massachusetts town that had no plans for Christmas trees at its libraries has changed its mind, and Fox News host Jesse Watters knows the reason why.
As noted by the Boston Globe, the town of Dedham initially had decided that there would be no Christmas trees in any of its libraries, ending a long-standing tradition. But that upset some folks in the town, who made a fuss that caught the ears of Watters, who related the tale Monday on his Fox News show “Primetime.”
“Today, ‘Primetime’ scored another major victory for America. We’ve won the first battle in the war on Christmas,” Watters said.
“Today, the tiny town of Dedham, Massachusetts, decided that their library will, in fact, put up their annual Christmas tree after some pressure from ‘Primetime.’ So how did we get here?” he said.
Watters noted the power of one person to effect change.
“Well, last week we told you about a Scrooge named Amber Maroney. She’s the town’s library director, and she banned Christmas trees because they made people feel ‘uncomfortable.’ You see, to some people, there’s nothing more offensive than twinkling lights on a Douglas fir, so there was no way the tree could go up this year. Look at last year’s tree. How offensive,” he said.
“But one brave foot soldier sounded the alarm.”
Watters was referring to Lisa Desmond, manager of the Dedham Public Library’s Endicott branch, who blew the whistle with a post on Facebook on Dec. 2.
“I have never posted a negative post on Facebook. That is, until now. I found out today that my beautiful library will not have it’s Christmas tree this year. Zero explanation. When I asked, I was told ‘people’ were made uncomfortable last year looking at it. I’m sorry WHAT? In my 28 years at the Dedham Public Library, I have never heard a negative comment,” she wrote.
“We have celebrated and included everyone in our community. In fact, I was asked to emcee Juneteenth this year. What an honor. Those who know me and my family know we celebrate Christmas Hanukkah. My Muslim friends and Western Indian friends invite me to their celebrations. What an amazing gift.”
“Those who know me know I lead with positive intentions. I’m not feeling very positive today. Please bring Christmas back to my beautiful library. And always lead with love in your heart. Rant over,” she concluded.
Watters said the town missed the mark.
“So, you can celebrate Kwanzaa at the library, but you can’t celebrate Christmas? Does anybody in Dedham, Massachusetts even celebrate Kwanzaa?” he said.
“This doesn’t sit well with ‘Primetime,’ and so we believe we should be able to celebrate all holidays. As they say, the more the merrier. So, we announced our intention to visit this misguided Massachusetts town.”
“Guess what? We didn’t even have to go caroling to change their minds. It was the mere threat of me caroling that moved the needle. Today, the town of Dedham announced that the Christmas tree is going back up,” he said.
The Town of Dedham portrayed the issue differently in a Facebook post.
“At the Dedham Public Library we do our best to respect the wide variety of viewpoints and beliefs in our community, including those who choose to celebrate Christmas and other winter holidays. To be clear, there is no ban on Christmas at the Dedham library,” the post said.
“The initial decision to not display a Christmas tree was the result of an ongoing review of all our holiday decorations and displays that started back in the spring.,” the post said, adding, “As we finish decorating for this holiday season, Christmas trees will be put up at both locations.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
