CHRISTMAS UNDER ATTACK AND OTHER FABLES

Falafel stuffer O'Reilly is out ready to pump his Barney Fife one bullet into the "enemies of Christmas" and is vowing total Jihad - oops I mean opposition to anyone ready to malign or remove "Christmas" from the public lexicon. Jesus ROFL til he wept. Piety is the new last refuge of a scoundrel.

On the other hand, in this little corner of Red in the blue, the Mount Soledad cross has become a Bull Run of sorts. Back and forth fight a small band of atheist ideologues trying to scrub the cross from the top of the hill. And the right wingers, Christians and hate radio purveyors have had a field day lambasting the left as anti-God, anti-Christian, anti-Christ, anti-war memorial, HUH? Yep, that's what the save the cross folks have tried to label the cross. Its a war memorial. Shaped like a cross. To honor the fallen Christian - no wait, all soldiers felled in battle.

Truth and fact its a stupid debate. Like the "flag burning amendment." Right wing politicians - like our beloved thief Duke - line up to defend the war memorial and bemoan creeping secularism. Left wingers scream about separation of church and state and violating the "Establishment" clause of the First amendment. In all of this toxic rhetoric no one - atheist, non-christian religious of any sort, liberal secular-humanist, has articulated one solid reason how this hunk of concrete rebar and reinforcement establishes religion. Similarly, no one has shown one iota of tangible harm that the cross' past half century presence has caused. Point for the Righties.

However, none of the righties has made a bit of sense by trying to fit this very square peg into the round hole of "War Memorial." It's a Christian symbol. No getting around that. If any one group has a chance at noting tangible harm, it would be the Jewish community in San Diego. The community is fewer than six decades removed from a time when restrictive covenants permeated the la Jolla community surrounding mount Soledad - said restrictions precluded selling homes to Jewish people. The cross, then, placed as it was, could evoke the same response in Jewish residents of the surrounding area that the confederate flag in South Carolina might have on some of that State's residents who descend from slaves. But when atheists- who believe in nothing anyway - claim that this cross threatens them, I say how? The cross ain't the threat. The expansion of evangelical Christo-fascism is the threat, but its only been around since the early 1970's. Going after the cross only fuels the evangelical fascists' claims of persecution - including this absolutely nutty claim that Christmas is under attack. Say "Merry Christmas" to your friends and family if they celebrate Christmas. Don't create awkwardness with the greeting toward those who don't. Isn't that courtesy? Isn't that being polite? What the HELL is wrong with good manners?

But just in case the Right wing evangelofascistas are feeling a little persecuted, I offer up the lyrics of a contemporary Christmas tune. Enjoy, you uber pious hypocrites! Scrape those "W" ovals off the back of your SUV windows while you're at it.

Let's put Christ back in Christmas,
Right back where He belongs,
Let's put Christ back in Christmas,
And back in your favorite Christmas songs!

(sung to the tune of) Frosty the Snowman,
Was Jesus Christ's best friend,
He stood there melting by the cross,
Until the very end!

Let's put Christ back in Christmas,
Right back where He belongs,
Let's put Christ back in Christmas,
And back in your favorite Christmas songs!

(Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer) Jesus the long-haired savior,
Had a very shiny glow,
And if you ever saw it,
You'd say it's a halo!

Oh, Let's put Christ back in Christmas,
Right back where He belongs,
Let's put Christ back in Christmas,
And back in your favorite Christmas songs!

(Santa Claus is comin' to town) You better not shout,
You better not cry,
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why,
Jesus Christ is coming again!

Let's put Christ back in Christmas,
Right back where He belongs,
Let's put Christ back in Christmas,
And back in your favorite Christmas songs!

Jingle bells,
Go to Hell,
If you do not pray!