'Oh Winter Tree'?

At Clover Creek Elementary school in Tacoma last week, it was a song where a teacher replaced the word "Christmas" with the word "winter."

No, it wasn't "I'm dreaming of a white winter, with every winter card I write."

It was a relatively obscure Irish Christmas carol.

But that's not really the point.

The point is that rampaging political correctness continues to drive Christmas, and Hanukkah, publicly underground.

I've heard from a whole lot of people on this 'what should we call' it issue: From grumpy atheists who think it's all a religious plot to convert them, to Jehovah's Witnesses who don't celebrate any holiday, happy or otherwise.

But the worst are the brainwashed P.C. police who've tried to convince me that saying "Happy Holidays" is the most respectful way to handle things.

Humbug!

Respect is taking four measly seconds to ask what a person does celebrate, and responding in kind.

Can we even acknowledge that Christmas and Hanukkah are as much cultural as they are religious celebrations?

Meanwhile, PLEASE stop changing the words of Christmas songs?

Because I don't think "I'll Be Home for Winter" really cuts it.

Want to share your thoughts with Ken Schram? You can e-mail him at kenschram@komo4news.com