The management of the Empire State Building has refused a request to light its tower blue and white on Aug. 26 to honor the 100th birthday of Nobel Prize-winning champion of India's and the world's poor and dying, a Roman Catholic candidate for formal sainthood (and foe of abortion), Mother Teresa.
As of this writing, the skyscraper's management has refused to tell WCBS-TV2 News why they are denying Mother Teresa the same kind of tribute they routinely approve for hundreds of other individuals, organizations, commercial activities, and historic anniversaries.
"I guess there must be a reason," the Roman Catholic archbishop of New York, Timothy Michael Dolan, told CBS. "It'd be tough for me to understand a credible one, but I wish they'd tell us. It's tough to be against Mother Teresa."
"She deserves better," said New York City Councilman Peter Vallone, who has introduced a bill formally requesting the ESB tribute on behalf of the city. "She's one of the greatest women history has ever known."
Mother Teresa departed this world for heaven in 1997, but such a display in her honor might remind people that other nuns are continuing her good works and could use help.
Who, you might ask, has the privately-owned Empire State Building honored recently with a light show on its three illuminated platforms?
The management of New York City's once-again-tallest skyscraper on Sept. 20 last year, for the second year, lit its three platforms green, the color of Islam's Prophet Muhammad, to celebrate Eid-al-Fitr. Eid marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of daylight fasting.
Last year on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 the Empire State Building was illuminated to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China's communist revolution, thereby honoring a government that has murdered by one estimate 65 million of its own people to build a utopian Marxist dictatorship. (President Barack Obama likewise honored Communist China by flying China's red and yellow flag on the Ellipse near the White House.)
The Empire State Building is routinely lit orange, black, and white on Halloween, the pagan Wiccan holiday Samhain.
Last June 26-28, the ESB glowed lavender and white to honor "Heritage of Pride," the city's annual gay pride festivities.
The skyscraper was recently glowing white and blue to coincide with a parade honoring Israel.
And in the past its lighting schedule has honored not only Earth Day but also Saint Patrick's Day with green. It has implicitly honored another Christian saint on Saint Valentine's Day with red, pink, and white lights. And the Empire State Building has routinely honored two prominent Christian holy days, Easter with green, pink, and yellow lights and Christmas with red and green lights.
Why, then, the thusfar-unexplained refusal to honor Mother Teresa?
My best guess is that Aug. 26 has already been reserved by some other celebration that the keepers of the Empire State Building's lights are not yet ready to announce. Aug. 26, 1920, is the day that women achieved the right to vote in the United States. In 1971 Congress declared this date Women's Equality Day to honor women's enfranchisement.
November 2010 brings a crucial off-year election in which low voter turnout might turn out the Democratic Party that now rules Congress in Washington, D.C.
Liberal politicians might see Women's Equality Day as an opportunity to motivate women — who in the past have cast their ballots for Democrats and liberals in larger proportion than men do — to vote.
Do not be surprised if on Aug. 26 the Empire State Building is lit pink to advance the cause of liberalism instead of blue and white for Mother Teresa.
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