More Religious Grandstanding in NYC

One controversy is never enough. The Catholic League is now criticizing the Empire State Building for not lighting up on Mother Teresa's birthday.

As it turns out, one religious controversy is never enough for New York City.

For your edification, I give you Bill Donohue leading protests against the Empire State Building NOT lighting up in blue and white for Mother Teresa's birthday centenary.

One week from today, on August 26, the Catholic League is holding a rally to protest the decision by officials from the Empire State Building not to light the towers blue and white on the 100th anniversary of Mother Teresa's birthday. The rally will feature speakers who are Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Hindu and Muslim, as well as celebrities and government officials from both parties.

The rally begins at 6:00 p.m. Please enter at 34th Street and 6th Avenue, and remember to wear blue and white.

Just like with the mosque controversy (and the cross controversy in Poland) the protest goes a bit deeper than simple opposition to a decision made by a property owner.  Nobody denies that the owner of the Empire State Building has the right to deny a request to light up his building a particular color.

Still, you'd think that the person who owns the Empire State Building would have the civic responsibility to explain why an honor given to the communist Chinese can't be extended to someone loved and respected by millions on her centenary.

Bill Donohue is loud and annoying, but he doesn't own the Empire State Building.  You'd think this'd be an opportunity to be the bigger man.

The planned protest hearkens back to the controversies of the '90s that Bill Donohue first got publicity for: most notably, the "Sensation" exhibition.  It’s about the perception that traditional religion, Imam Rauf excepted, does not exactly have the blessing of the ruling class these days.

And more importantly it's about the reaction to the reaction, which is inevitably -- I don't know, kind of condescending?

Rudy Giuliani, despite his differences with the Church, managed these sorts of symbolic culture clashes quite well, from a political perspective.  At least he did it better than Mike Bloomberg's strategy of publicly shaming all who disagree with his zoning decisions and food preferences, most of whom left New York City for warmer climes long ago.

The culture wars won't be wished away.  They are a part of American democracy.  Can Republican politicians besotted with fiscal austerity still get on the right side of them? Do they care?

Can anyone else play this game at all?