Growing up, I always thought it was ridiculous when people sometimes got offended when someone wished them a Merry Christmas. I mean, someone is trying to be nice, and you&#8217;re offended? Don't you know it&#8217;s the thought that counts?<br/><br/>Yet, I never imagined that anyone would possibly be offended by Happy Holidays.<br/><br/>It would be all too easy to point out that most of these anti-&#8220;War on Christmas&#8221; Crusaders don&#8217;t really have any intention of putting the &#8220;Christ&#8221; back into Christmas. Feeding the hungry. Clothing the naked. Providing shelter to the homeless. Healing the sick. Peace and goodwill towards man.<br/><br/>&#8220;Don&#8217;t you think that God knows that He is being worshiped in the pictures and the images? If a worshiper makes a mistake, don&#8217;t you think that God will forgive him?&#8221;<br/><br/>It&#8217;s like shooting fish in a barrel.<br/><br/>But I do think it&#8217;s worth noting that here, as with a lot of the Culture War issues, the culture warriors seem to greatly over-estimate, or over-dramatize, the discomfort or dissent.<br/><br/>I have to believe that the overwhelming majority of people don&#8217;t really care too much whether someone says &#8220;Merry Christmas&#8221; instead of &#8220;Happy Holidays&#8221; or puts the &#8220;under God&#8221; into the Pledge of Allegiance or teaches Intelligent Design or even Creationism in school alongside evolution.<br/><br/>I think it&#8217;s more that people are concerned with the animus.<br/><br/>Why does the Speaker of the House feel compelled to point out that the tree on the Capitol lawn is a <em>Christmas</em> Tree and not a Holiday Tree?<br/><br/>What type of judge would waste his career fighting about whether he can post the Ten Commandments over the courthouse steps?<br/><br/>Who would take the time and effort to boycott a retail chain for wishing its customers Seasons Greetings instead of a Merry Christmas?<br/><br/>How is it possible that we have so many elected officials who think it&#8217;s important to have Prayer in Public Schools?<br/><br/>Or teach Creationism?<br/><br/>And why do they think it&#8217;s so important?<br/><br/>They can&#8217;t teach that in Church?<br/><br/>Or at Home?<br/><br/>Is that what&#8217;s going to make the difference in these kids' lives? Doctor vs drug dealer. Professor vs prostitute. Lawyer vs larcenist. Not having &#8220;under God&#8221; in the Pledge? Getting a &#8220;Holiday&#8221; greeting instead of a &#8220;Christmas&#8221; greeting? Learning about Darwin in school?<br/><br/>Is it really possible that they aren't more concered about low math and science scores, or literacy rates?<br/><br/>How could anybody be <em>offended</em> by Happy Holidays?<br/><br/>It&#8217;s like the death penalty. I can see how people might be for it or against it, for one reason or another. But I frankly find people who feel strongly about the death penalty a little scary. It&#8217;s the animus. Of someone who really really really wants to see somebody else executed. Or a stranger who would stand in the rain outside of a prison with a candle crying over the death of an axe murderer.<br/><br/>Or like affirmative action. There are likely perfectly rational reasons that someone could rely upon to oppose affirmative action. But, for some reason, I always find myself questioning the animus of the speaker.<br/><br/>In any event, for those of you who are <em>&quot;outraged&quot;</em> by those damn secularists, remember that it takes two to tango.<br/><br/>In the meantime: Happy Holidays!<br/><br/>And Merry Christmas!<br/><br/><br/><br/><small>[Note - The views expressed on this political blog and law blog about Bill O'Reilly, gay marriage, the secularist agenda, intelligent design, and other issues are the personal views of Steve Herman and are not intended to represent the views of Herman Herman Katz &amp; Cotlar, LTLA, TLPJ, the Civil Justice Foundation, or any other organization.]</small>