WANKE: BUNNY FLAP REVEALS TREND THAT IS NOT SILLY

This commentary was written by one of my good friends Randy Wanke.

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Bunny flap reveals trend that is not silly

The city of St. Paul has apparently developed a serious case of Leporiphobia (fear of rabbits) and chased that long-eared fluffy menace, the Easter Bunny, out of city hall.

While someone like Elmer Fudd might applaud St. Paul's expulsion of the bunny rabbit from city hall, the rest of us should be a little less pleased.

That's because what has happened in St. Paul is part of a growing movement to remove every symbol with any connection to faith from the public arena.

We are used to seeing this kind of nonsense around Christmas time, when nativity scenes are treated as if they threaten the secular sanctity of every city hall and public place in America.
Now the protectors of public faith-free-zones have apparently set their sites on Easter and the most secular of its symbols — the bunny rabbit.

Not a religious symbol. Let's be clear, as far as symbols go, the Easter Bunny isn't exactly a religious symbol for Christians celebrating the resurrection of Christ and the forgiveness of sins. Yet, the way the city of St. Paul reacted, one would think that a life-sized crucifix had been planted in the middle of city hall, while right next to it, Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" was running on a continuous loop.

As a kid, to me (and I am guessing to most Christian and many non-Christian kids) the Easter Bunny was about eggs and candy. It was about getting up early in the morning to find a basket full of chocolate Easter Bunnies, jelly beans, and Peeps. It was about shoveling down as many of them as I could before I threw up or my parents woke up and told me to save the rest for later.

For me, the real symbolism of Easter Sunday didn't come until later in the day at church when the shroud was lifted from the cross and the pastor said "He has risen," to which the congregation responded "He has risen indeed."

Tolerance, please. But even if the Easter Bunny did represent some greater religious symbolism – I say "So what?" Have we as a nation become so intolerant of displays of faith that we are willing to allow them to be banned from every public place?

Unfortunately, it already appears that the answer to that question is "yes." And that's a shame. Because to deny the role that faith played in the founding and growth of this country is to re-write our history. And to do so is to also deny the pivotal role that faith plays in the great American experiment. After all, Americans motivated by their faith led the charge to eliminate slavery, advanced civil rights and fought for women's suffrage.

I would like to offer this word of caution regarding the bunny ban at St. Paul City Hall. St. Patrick's Day has its roots as a religious holiday, celebrating the life of a Catholic saint. So, it may only be a matter of time before emerald green and leprechauns are banned from St. Paul's city hall on St. Patrick's Day.

Sounds silly, doesn't it? But it is no sillier than showing the Easter Bunny the door at city hall.

Wanke is a communications consultant from Plymouth and a Republican Party activist. Source: Pioneer Press, March 26, 2006