"A skeleton, dressed as Santa Claus, nailed to a cross" — on display at a Leesburg, Virginia courthouse.

It's controversial, and a lady ripped it down, but "Skele-Claus" was accepted by the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. The creator of the anti-Christmas display, Jeff Heflin said: "It depicts how society's materialistic obsessions and addictions are killing the season's peace, love, joy and kindness."

The leader of the Northern Virginia Atheists, Rick Wingrove, says tearing down the display was illegal, and people should keep an open mind.

"Offense is in the eye of the beholder. We're offended by the religious displays on government  property. We think it's constitutionally improper," Wingrove said.

See, this is why you don't want to turn government property into a public forum for speech in the form of unattended displays. If that's what you've got, free speech law proscribes viewpoint discrimination. (There are ways to have Christmas decorations without running into this problem, but they risk running into Establishment Clause problems.)

I don't like these "atheists" who are really religion-haters. If you really only think there is no God, why are you so hostile toward people who think otherwise? Find something else to do. Why obsess about religion? And why can't you enjoy festive displays of things that you don't actually believe in? Virtually everyone who puts up a Santa Claus display doesn't believe in Santa Claus. It's just a lightweight seasonal amusement. What's to hate? I wouldn't dignify virulent religion-haters with the neutral appellation "atheist." It's not fair to all the amiable, well-balanced atheists out there.