Ghost of War on Christmas Past (a blast from the past)

The conservos are probably still playing with their new Rub-A-Dub Romney figurines they received over the Christmas holidays, so it's not too late to regale you with the story of a conservative War on Christmas from years gone by! (Today is a slow news day anyhow.)

In 2006, a homeowners association in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, appointed itself the Grinch Who Stole Christmas by threatening to fine a resident unless she removed a Christmas wreath encircling a peace sign. The association's excuse was that the wreath was either a protest against the Iraq War or a Satanic symbol. If the association seriously thought it was the latter, they might as well just go and paint clown noses on their own faces. If they thought it was the former, they should do the same, because they're acting like opposing the war is some sort of taboo opinion.

For the record, the wreath is neither: The wreath was intended as a general symbol of the spirit of peace. It wasn't specifically about the Iraq War.

The fine? It's $25 costly dollars - per day!

Several residents complained about the peace wreath because they considered it a protest against the war. Well, that's too bad. Free country - so live with it.

The homeowners association sent out a nasty letter to the woman who posted the wreath. This missive called the wreath a "divisive" posting that isn't allowed in the neighborhood. (Ooh, an Allowed Cloud!)

Now here's the real bunch of beedledickery. The president of the homeowners association tried to get the association's architectural control committee to force the homeowner to take down the wreath. But when the committee refused, he fired all 5 members.

How adult contemporary of you, mister.

Because homeowners associations are not government agencies, how in the Wide, Wide World Of Sports did they expect to be able to impose the heavy fine? If I was the homeowner who was being fined for putting up a wreath, I'd just ignore the fine.

(Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/27/ap/national/mainD8LL49880.shtml)