Santa's Bag or Santa, Bagged? The National Rifle association received its Christmas present early from the Bush Administration, thereby guaranteeing us all a merry gun totin' christmas: The SKS is a precursor of the AK-47 assault rifle. Though it has a longer barrel, it otherwise looks much like the AK-47. It has become popular in the United States among gun collectors, target shooters and some criminals, because it sells for less than $200, or more than $100 less than an AK-47, said Kristen Rand, legislative director of the Violence Policy Center, a gun control group. By executive order, President Bill Clinton barred the importing of Chinese- and Russian-made SKS rifles. But the Bush administration, Ms. Rand said, has specifically authorized the importing of SKS's from Yugoslavia and Albania. Read the NYT article: This christmas gift has to be seen within the context of the conservative quest to "put the Christ back in Christmas". The Committe to Save Christmas is part of this campaign: "...The Christian brigades are fighting back. In California, the Committee to Save Merry Christmas has organised a boycott of Macy's department store for wishing shoppers Season's Greetings or Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas. Organisers cited "the recent presidential election showing political correctness is offending millions of Americans". Read It: It's obvious what the final solution of these two serendipitous events is: Pine trees and a pagan god with a mystical sleigh are clear examples of pagan symbols infused syncrystically into the Christian mythology. How is wishing others "Happy Holidays" watering down "the reason for the season"? If you complain about salespeople who say "Happy Holidays" rather than "Merry Christmas", I'm coming down your chimney, confiscating your presents, and dragging your tree to the curb--unless you're packin' heat, that is.