4 - The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, November 25, 2020
Opinion A visit with Santa takes a severe turn this winter BY JOHN MATHER Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. Those words were penned in response to a letter to the editor by Virginia O’Hanlon when she queried her father whether Santa Claus was real. He suggested she write her letter to the editor of the New York Sun because if “you see it in the Sun, then it’s so.” The response allowed one of the paper's editors, Francis Pharcellus Church, to rise above the question and address the philosophical issues behind it. “Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except if they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge. “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus!” That was the beginning of Church’s response written in 1897. It is reportedly the most reprinted newspaper editorial in the English language. So let’s fast forward to 2020. In the midst of a worldwide pandemic a child’s trip to Santa Claus to explain how good they have been this year isn’t going to happen. The Santa Claus at the Christmas market , the community hall visit or in the shopping mall has been replaced by the Covid clause! Not in here, not safe! No way! No how! It won’t be the normal Santa visit we’ve come to expect for the past century. Santa has for the good part been cancelled. And not by the cancel culture movement although give them some time and that may come to pass. No, in this age of face masks, and social distancing, boys and girls from around the world will be able to see Santa, but he will be in his own isolation bubble, safe from any outside infections or germs. Thinking about this, you have to think that in all previous years, Santa would probably be the number one super spreader out there, but in keeping with the season, let’s not go there. Nor should we ponder how he’ll distribute gifts around the world with all the various quarantine procedures in place this year.
Continued
No, now children can reach out to Santa through Facebook, Instagram, email, twitter, podcasts, or any other method of social media they can come up with. Santa is going virtual!!! They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. Those two sentences of Church’s response could have been written yesterday or any other day for the past few years. Look at the world around us. Where civil discourse used to be the norm, it has dissolved into name-calling and criticizing. Our politicians here in Alberta, at the Federal level, and most obviously in the United States have stopped trying to reach consensus when it comes to guiding how our society lives and evolves. Instead it’s the ruling party’s way or the highway. When someone posts a question on social media, or makes a general comment, it is often followed by name calling, insults and snarky remarks from people who used to remain quiet, but have now become keyboard
warriors because they have discovered they can hide out in plain site saying nothing of importance, yet remaining anonymous all at the same time. So this year, Santa will be in his bubble, while small children sit a goodly safe distance away. Want a photo with Santa? Two cameras will snap two photos which will then, through the magic of technology, be merged to form a shot showing the children huddling right close to the big man, whispering their innermost secrets. And a huge shout out to organizations like the Lamont Fire Department, which this Saturday will drive Santa around town in a fire truck for social distance visits with children who have made a request for a visit. For these kids Christmas might seem a little more normal. Their eyes will still light up and sparkle with joy at the prospect of speaking with Santa, even if it is from 10 feet away. Others can talk to Santa via Zoom or Facetime. For those in favour of snail mail, Canada Post, despite the pandemic, will still accept letters to Santa addressed to Santa Claus,
North Pole, H0H 0H0, Canada If they include a return address they will get a letter back. All letters to Santa must be written by Dec. 10. It will be different for sure this Christmas. Politicians, doctors, and no doubt social media experts will all want Christmas to be a lonely time this year with family visits done by Facetime or Zoom, rather than in-person family visits. Gifts by way of curbside pick up. All parties and gatherings must be treated the same way. At least it will cut down on the amount of nog I have to purchase. But when we get around to making those virtual New Year’s resolutions Dec. 31, … let’s make one where we try to be civil towards one another, more than we have been in years. Through the joy in the eyes and mind of a small child as he meets and talks to Santa, whom he truly believes in, let’s see if we the adults of the world can get some civility back into the mainstream of society, because as Church pointed out, “Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus.” And cancel culture. Just go away.
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.
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