a large amount of the reaction to these kind of displays is just plain ignorance of the historical and cultural significance of samhain, and what these people ultimately need to stop their whining is a bit of a history lesson of the origins of western culture.

samhain is a celtic religious festival that is thought to be very ancient and has origins in the less colonized regions of the british isles, like ireland and the north of scotland. these displays are ultimately an offering to the spirit world, and deeply spiritual in nature, whether the owner of that house realizes it or not.

attempting to shut down a samhain display is quite truly an infringement of this person's personal belief system, even if it's been blurred and confused over time - like any other, really. the major religions are all syncretic. none of us really understand what we're doing, not really.

i would call on the whiners of maple ridge to make an attempt to understand the people around them, rather than condemn them, like ignorant savages.

and, that woman should resign from the liberal party and join the conservative party. i hope this is an issue in the riding, and i hope she loses because of it.