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No, Virginia There Is No Santa Claus

Recently, there was a story about a Nanuet teacher telling their second grade class that there is in fact, no such thing as Santa Claus.  The article then said that the teacher explained that the parents bought the presents.  People in the community, especially the parents of the children are in a tizzy.  Journalists have been sent to investigate.  The world is coming to an end.

Second grade is inhabited by seven-year-olds. When I was seven, I knew damn well there was no Santa, no tooth fairy and no, well we won't go there.  A seven year old in 1977, knew that there was no man in a red suit, who flew around with reindeer and had elves performing slave labor to make toys.  Why did I know this?  Because my parents taught me not to be naive.  If something wasn't believable, I should question it.  Did they in fact write "from Santa" on gifts?  Of course, but I never wrote a list, so how'd he know what I wanted?  At age seven, I knew the flue of my fireplace was not wide enough to allow a skinny person access to the house, let alone a fat guy with a bag full of presents.

Now was the teacher's statement poor judgement?  I don't think so. I don't think parents should keep this insane idea that their child's innocence is a good thing.  Not a day goes by where some little kid isn't taken from a mall or from outside his house. So who is more likely to get taken?  The kid who knows that there is no Santa or the kid who believes in the make believe world of the Santa's workshop? Now maybe it isn't a teachers job to point out the obvious to a child of seven, but it is their job to educate.  Teaching kids that they should question what they believe and not take everyone's word for everything is a valuable lesson.  Was this revelation revealed as a lesson?  I doubt it, but in the long run, I think those kids actually benefit.  This is just another instance of education and knowledge being frowned upon, because it's not seen as positive.  Well watch the 11 O'clock news.  It's reality and it's not positive.  Let's get off this teacher's back and let's forgive her for telling the kids the truth. 

Somewhere in the last thirty years, facts, truths and honesty is seen not as a virtue, but as a weakness, an inconvenience and dirty words.  The fact it there is no Santa Claus, we all know this.  Now a handful of kids know it.  Big deal.  Isn't Christmas a celebration of the birth of Christ?  Did Jesus believe in Santa?  I doubt it.

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