It's Christmas, and it's always amusing watching the perennial emanations pour forth from the right over political correctness.

The format goes like this. Opening statement: "Christmas has been hijacked by political correctness," followed by many, many paragraphs of blather and hysteria about how people like me are trying to steal Christmas from them by preventing the use of the greeting "Merry Christmas", among other things.

Actually, it's not so much amusing as tiresome and old.

Bottom line: nobody cares. Really. Use Merry Christmas. Call your holiday pageants Christmas pageants and and put up a Christmas tree. As a member of the world-wide politically correct conspiracy I promise you this: the wave of left-wing indignation will never appear. All of us politically-correct types are too busy getting drunk on rum-and-eggnog to bother. Or worried about real issues, like poverty, injustice, war and human rights.

Just follow my example.

Merry Christmas!

See? No hordes of politically correct censors are breathing down my neck. Now if a card-carrying left-winger like myself can do it, so can you.

I'm even going to be more incorrect and actually quote from the Bible, just to prove we haven't banned it. And, get this, I'm using the King James version! And nobody's going to complain about my cultural/gender insensitivity either:

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:1-12)

Have a very Merry Christmas.