Why are so many people determined to suck all the fun out of Christmas?

A New Jersey man must pay his township at least $2,000 if he wants to put his Christmas lights display up this year. (Fox News)

The latest controversy of the Christmas season is not about Grinches or Scrooges, but rather people who are guilty of having too much Christmas Cheer. One man from Charlestown, R.I. calls his elaborate holiday light show a family tradition, but neighbors say the bright lights and synchronized music are driving them crazy.

Another man from Old Bridge, N.J., has a 70,000 light display that attracts so much attention that taxpayers might have to end up covering the cost of the $2,000 per night for police security.

What is this all coming from? Why would people be so insistent on going too far with the Christmas cheer? Maybe it’s the modern world that’s getting them down, as battles wage in the public square, and more and more of our traditions are called inappropriate by the politically correct crowd.

First it was the sacred traditions that came under attack, like public manger displays and religious music, insisting that all holiday expressions be of the generic “winter” variety. Then, when we went shopping we were treated to fewer versions of “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem” and many more versions of “Let it Snow.”

The encroaching humbuggerry of our modern culture is making them all a little crazy.

But it seems that now, even the secular songs are problematic, hence the current controversy over radio stations banning the the holiday perennial favorite “Baby, its Cold Outside.” Although for years most of us regarded it in the way its authors intended – as innocent flirtation – some now hear a song extolling male-privilege and sexual coercion. Here’s the quote from one radio station that banned the song: “in a world where #MeToo has finally given women the voice they deserve, the song has no place."

You’d better put away the mistletoe guys- that’s harassment.

Remember in the movie Footloose when the uptight preacher wouldn’t let anybody in the town dance? It just made them want to dance all the more.

Well, in today’s world it’s certainly not the preachers that are the humorless scolds... it’s the secular, politically correct crowd that wants to make sure no one has any fun.

That’s my theory why these guys are so over the top. The encroaching humbuggerry of our modern culture is making them all a little crazy.

Since expressions of Yuletide cheer in the public square have been shamed and silenced, these real-life Clark Griswolds react by “turning it up to 11” on their own property. They’re all hopped up on Christmas cheer – like Ebenezer the morning after his visit with three spirits, they don’t care how silly they look – they’re going to scream “Merry Christmas!”

I don’t blame them! I applaud their efforts and salute their commitment. As for their neighbors I do sympathize, and I’ll remind them it will all be over in a few short weeks.