What's wrong with "Merry Christmas"? (long)

[Carol]

> In fact, in the past 20 years in  Michigan it's HALLOWEEN that has 
> been banned in many schools, and in the 
> Ann Arbor school district wearing a witch's costume was banned -- due 
> to pressure by Christians who say that the holiday and wearing 
> witches' costumes is a glorification of witchcraft, which, in their 
> opinion (like Harry Potter) is evil.
> 
> I'd be happy to provide verification of that fact, and I wouldn't be 
> surprised (since these right wing campaigns are orchestrated) that it 
> didn't happen in other parts of the country.
> 
> Susan
>
Carol responds:

I can't speak about any place except Arizona, where Halloween isn't
banned but Trick or Treating has become much less popular than it used
to be as the result of 9/11. Not sure about this year, but for several
years after 2001, malls were promoting safe Trick or Treating within
their walls to discourage children from going door to door. (There
have been problems with candy bag snatchers since at least the 1980s.)
Nothing to do with religion, just an atmosphere of fear and
indifference. Nothing like the innocent fun I remember from my
childhood, when we Trick or Treated in large groups and the adult who
didn't stay home to give out candy was the exception rather than the
rule. (This year I had all of five Trick or Treaters, one of them the
boy next door. Last year, IIRC, I had only one.)

Carol, mourning the world of her childhood and sad that today's
children will never know it