I haven't said anything about the Sea-Tac holiday tree controversy, though other contributors have.   (Here and here.)  Mostly that's because I already said what I have to say on the general subject last year and early this year, though I may recycle my somewhat idiosyncratic ideas if I get the time.  But I have been thinking hard about another local holiday celebration, and I would like some help so that I can cover it as it should be covered.

That celebration is, of course, the third annual Lenin lighting.  (You can see a socialist realism poster for the event here, if your taste runs to such things.)

To understand my reaction to this event, you should know that I translate politically correct terms automatically as I read, and so when I read that Fremont is having the Lenin lighting to "Ring in the Holiday Season", I see that as "Ring in the Christmas Season".  (And what other season is rung in at this time of year?)

I have some difficulty with that combination since I know, as every educated person should, that Lenin does not go well with Christmas (or any other religious holiday).  In fact, after coming to power in the coup that overthrew the provisional government, Lenin banned all religious holidays.  And religious holidays stayed banned in the Soviet Union until 1992.

So I don't think lighting a statue of Lenin is the best way to celebrate Christmas (or any other religious holiday).  I was going to write a post needling our local papers for being unwilling to explain why some might object to this connection.  But it occurred to me that it would be even better to show them how they should cover both sides of this story.  It will be easy enough to get Fremont's side; I can just recycle what PI reporter Kery Murakami wrote in 2004, calling the same people and getting (most likely) the same quotes.

But covering the other side is a little harder, and that's where I would like your help.  I'd like to contact some of those Lenin and his successors persecuted, or scholars who know about that persecution.  I would like to contact members of the Russian Orthodox church, Cuban-American Catholics, Vietnamese-American Catholics, anyone, in short, who knows what it is like to try to "Ring in the Christmas Season" in a Communist country.  I have the feeling that not all of them see Lenin as an ideal Christmas ornament.  But I would like to talk to some of them to be sure.

If you, or someone you know, can help me cover the other side of this story, please email me directly: jimxc@jimxc.seanet.com.  And just like the reporters who get salaries for their work, I am willing to protect those who wish to be anonymous.

Finally, one curiosity: At their home page, the Fremont Chamber of Commerce wishes those who visit their site a "Merry Christmas".  I will not even try to explain that.