What About Santa?

Have you ever found yourself defending an untenable position in the middle of a rant?

Once again I did…yesterday. At least I’m learning I don’t have to keep up an argument once I realize it’s wrong. It all started when I heard on the radio that North Pole Alaska was not going to be responding to kids letters to Santa this year. The reason: knowing the last name and address of kids violated privacy rules.

How ridiculous is that? You would think if I parent allows their child… no encourages their child to send a letter they are willingly giving up their privacy rights and allowing the one person who happens to get that letter the right to know more than they otherwise should.  I mean really, if whoever  is doing the hiring for letter readers is hiring psychotic social malcontents without doing a criminal and psychological profile than I still wouldn’t be so concerned because by far the ones who harm children are ones the children know, not some stranger hiding out in the dark winter of North Pole Alaska.

We live in a world of fear and it ticks me off when we say “no letters from Santa” using the excuse of a one in ten million chance that the next serial killer gets off reading letters to Santa. The truth is probably that they can’t find enough people to write letters back… I think I heard once it’s volunteers.

Anyway, about this point in the rant my wife reminded me I wouldn’t let our kids believe in Santa Claus – why should some fictional character get credit for our gifts? And then she also reminded me I really don’t like the State taking over the responsibilities of the family – and we both agree if you want to perpetuate a lie, do it yourself. Don’t pass off the myth to the post office. It’s your own responsibility if you want to lie to your kids.

I really hope kids under 5 aren’t reading this. I still remember the trouble I got in when I was in kindergarden and trying to watch Sesame Street before I went to school and some younger girl whose mom was visiting my mom was dancing around singing Santa songs and I happened to tell her “Santa isn’t real” to keep her quite and the whole room went deafening quiet. Mom tried to punish me… but she had no grounds… and I was too young to realize the value of silence…

Maybe I should have remembered that before writing this post… Anyway kids the REAL NORTH POLE is still writing letters back – North Pole, Canada HOH OHO

Lots to do today and I’m considering closing my online store and moving the products to this site. Love to know what people think of me having things for sale here.