I'd like to put forward an argument. Basically the same people who decry that the "Christ" is being taken out of Christmas and we should have prayer in school seem to have no problem trying to take the fun out of Halloween.

While the urge to name call and bash is strong, I shall refrain from doing it because I believe if you are debating someone and you call them names like (won't mention them) then it cheapens your argument and leaves you open. Plus it violates my "Do unto others" rule, which is the heart of this argument.

The conservative, religious right, or whatever you want to call them seem to have some issues with Halloween. Personally I enjoy Halloween, watching the children dress up, passing out candy, getting dressed up and going to parties, etc. However, certain people believe it to be satanic, devil worship, what have you, and that's fine. We live in a free society so you can believe whatever you want. I really don't care. What I DO care about is when you take your beliefs and feel the need to impose them on me, whether I want them or not.

Now, there is an argument that society is taking away Christmas. That we are going politically correct when we say "Season's Greetings" or "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas". They will argue about how you can have a Minore and Christmas tree but not a Nativity scene on at a public location. In a way, their argument has some validity. So when it happens, they cry foul, you hear Rush and Sean pontificate on it no end, bring in guest asking for the Fair and Balanced view as to why Christmas is being marginalized. I could go into more detail but you get the idea.

Now, here is the rub. Conservatives love to pontificate on how there is too much government and not enough individual freedom. How liberals love to take away our freedoms. Yet, they seem to have no problem taking away Halloween, turning it into the Politically Correct "Fall Festival". Further, because of their influence, some schools don't allow children to dress up or, if they do, they can't depict pagan imagery such as witches, ghosts, and goblins. Isn't that part of the fun of Halloween? Isn't that like saying we can have Christmas but you can't display a Nativity scene?

Seems there's a word for this. What is it... Oh yeah, Hypocrisy! Seems they have a problem with the separation of church and state with Christmas but have no problem with it with regards to Halloween. It's all or nothing! Once you start dictating "This holiday is OK but that one isn't" you go down that slippery slope of ruining holidays for everyone.

Now, if you don't like Halloween and you don't want to celebrate it, fine, don't. Keep your lights off, don't dress up, study the bible or whatever. But do the rest of us the same courtesy you want done to you, or as Jesus said "Do unto others as you would have other do unto you." You don't want people dictating how you celebrate Christmas, don't dictate how people celebrate Halloween.