A Springfield, Missouri newspaper published this opinion on 21 October, 2006 that a local author's effort to educate Missouri school districts of the permissibility of mentioning God or Christiantity is a bad idea because it will become fodder for Fox News' Bill O'Reilly's "War on Christmas" coverage.

Here we go again.

Remember last year's mostly exaggerated debate over Christmas being under attack?

It's not even Halloween, and it's already back, and the culprit is local defense attorney Dee Wampler.

Wampler, who wrote a book about the separation of church and state, is going to various school districts asking them to change "winter break" on their calendars to "Christmas break."

We don't take issue with what Wampler is saying. He's absolutely right that separation of church and state does not mean that there can be no mention of God or Christianity anywhere in our public discourse. Check out the dollar bill in your pocket if you disagree with that.

What we worry about is the inevitable fallout. No doubt, by the time this story hits Bill O'Reilly, it will be pitched as "School Districts Attack Christmas."

In fact, Wampler is just making a point. If schools want to call the two-week break in December Christmas break, so be it. If they want to call it December break, or winter break or teacher sanity break, that's fine, too.

But nobody's under attack here.

Calm down and enjoy your pagan fall ritual holiday candy