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A recent word storm has sprung on the net over the date of this year’s New York ComicCon, which apparently falls on the Jewish festival of Passover. This Rant is going to touch on that, the writer of the initial criticism and about society as a whole, I suppose, so if you are the type who does not enjoy, appreciate or respect the opinions of others in regards to religion, please stop reading now.
I only wish I could feel as passionately about anything as a traditional Jewish observer does about their faith but I don’t. I lack the personal resolve to commit myself so intrinsically into anything that I will always be relegated to the sidelines of absolute beliefs. And while I seldom comprehend one’s absolute devotion to, well, anything, I can respect it. To a degree.
Neil Kleid is a New York based cartoonist who has, at the end of January, taken some offence to the fact that the 2008 New York ComicCon is being held on the weekend of Passover. He posted an open letter on his LiveJournal stating as such.
Without knowing all of the particulars of why a show that had, for the previous 2 years been held in February, moved to April, Neil decided to take the organizational committee to task for allowing the show to occur at the same time as Passover. He actually states that he is “annoyed that the folks at Reed (Exhibitions) didn’t even take the holiday into account.” without actually knowing if it was taken into account or not. He further states that “it’s frankly insulting” that the organizers didn’t even take the time to “open a calendar and see whether the dates of the convention conflict with major holidays”. Neil knows a lot for someone who, in his opening, admits that “I don’t know the details” about why the date changed.
Lance Fensterman, head of the NYCon replied to Neil’s comments and made it clear that that weekend was all that was available to them at the venue where the con was being held. Even after seeing Lance’s reply, Neil still was not happy. So my question becomes, how far do we go please everyone?
I can remember a time when everything and I mean everything was closed on Sundays and Christmas (except essential services). It’s hardly the case these days, especially when you see movies like AVP Requiem opening on Dec 25th. Has Christmas become less of a holiday because of it? Well Neil thinks that “the decision to take the dates given (for the NYCon) despite them falling on Passover makes our holiday appear to be of lesser import.”
While I can’t disagree with his feelings, I do have to ask, where does it end? At what point do we draw the line when considering holding an event that falls on a holiday? What are the criteria? Do only certain religions get considered? With an increase in the number of “recognized” religious dates, how could anyone schedule anything without raising the ire of some group of people?
And I can’t believe for one minute that nothing happens on Passover. Like Christmas, the movement to provide not just services but also entertainment to those who do not recognize certain religious holidays is growing fast. As a member of the sector that no longer HAS to be open nearly every day of the year but is EXPECTED to be open every day of the year, the arrogance of any individual to say that an event shouldn’t occur because they can’t be a part of it offends me, especially when laced with the ignorance expressed in Neil’s open letter.
It’s sad that there are people in the world who are still looking to be persecuted instead of dealing with actual problems. The NYCon did what they have to do as a business and I’m sure it was not an easy decision to make. The fact that Neil, without knowing anything about why it happened, instantly skewed the happenings towards a bashing of his religion is a bit disturbing to me. Instead, why didn’t he just email them and ask, “Hey, did you know you booked your con on Passover weekend?” Had he done that I’m sure the comic internet community would have had to deal less with the passion of Neil’s faith.
I’m sorry you’ll have to miss the con, Neil. I applaud your faith but your attack on people without knowledge of why they do what they do is truly more damaging than a comic con on any holiday.
-The Shepherd