The Christmas smackdown has arrived, this time right here in Wisconsin, which means I’m going to get on my holiday soapbox and chuck frozen fruitcakes at stupidity.

With 2020 causing cancellations galore due to the coronavirus, the state’s governor, Tony Evers, decided to put the kibosh on having a ginormous Christmas tree in the state Capitol, as it has been closed since the pandemic swept across the country. While some were understanding of the action, a few Republicans were not thrilled with the liberal leader’s choice.

So they decided to put up a tree of their own. It’s smaller, with fewer decorations, but it’s a beacon of light on a dark year.

Then the Republicans, Shae Sortwell and Paul Tittl, were informed by Capitol officials that the permit for the tree was denied, and it needs to be taken down. Oh, goody. The Grinch and Ebenezer Scrooge have joined forces and plan to make one more holiday miserable.

Exactly what is it going to take to get public officials to realize that putting the damper on holidays is not going to work with people? Communities tried to cancel Halloween, and folks rebelled. Health officials tried scare tactics to keep folks from traveling for Thanksgiving, and that went over like a lead balloon. Now Wisconsin’s statehouse is bringing legitimacy to the concept of a war on Christmas. I can’t wait to see what they cook up for Valentine’s Day.

While I can understand that the state doesn’t want tons of people funneling through the Capitol, spreading coronavirus like cheese on a cracker, there is no reason that there shouldn’t be emblems of the holiday season in the building. Put up a Christmas tree. Light a menorah. Stop putting the brakes on expressions of holiday cheer.

This is a time when we need to keep some holiday traditions alive. Even if we can’t have a large tree, that’s no reason to say nothing can go up. Many people enjoy seeing decorated trees, strings of lights, candy canes, Santa Claus and the like. Leaving the Capitol barren is like telling the people of Wisconsin “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” What kind of messed-up message is that sending to the folks that call this place home?

Since everything is being done remotely, it wouldn’t be hard to put a camera on the tree and run it through Facebook Live or have a live feed on a website. The tree that the Republican officials put up is not a multiple-story monstrosity. By comparison, it was a Charlie Brown tree—granted, one with a lot more needles—and not something that required a “Bah, humbug” from the governor.

Granted, it’s not the first time someone has blown a gasket over some symbol of Christmas being in a public building, but using a pandemic to quell a small example of holiday cheer goes beyond the pale. The legislators are not causing any harm, they’re not leading tours through to see their pretty tree, they’re not having legions of carolers singing off-key and they’re not blowing big buckets of cash to set up the tree and decorate it.

It’s time for Evers to raise the white flag and let the Republicans have their tree. Being ticked at them because they convinced the courts to overturn his COVID-19 restrictions is no reason to be oppressive when it comes to holiday cheer. This is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, and even if Wisconsin’s Capitol building can’t have a huge tree sparkling in the rotunda, that’s no reason not to have something green and glowing somewhere inside the walls.

In the end, if this battle ends up going to Evers, perhaps the GOP legislators can write to Santa and ask him to bring Evers a heart for Christmas. It seems unlikely that’ll happen, but the Christmas season is one of hope.