DU, your little friends are wrong.

[sir pball]

They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, DU, 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, DU, 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! It would be as dreary as if there were no DUs. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, DU, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, DU, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

[sabrina 1]

1. Santa Claus is an idea, a good idea. I'd rather we went after torturers, who are an evil

influence on the world.

You are right, Santa Claus or some version of the idea will continue as long as there are a people who want to believe there is good in the world.

Because there is.

[sir pball]

2. I have a lot of "I'd rathers" too..

And while I don't ever lose sight of them, I think that a lot of people here get target-fixated and can't, or worse yet won't, appreciate the season, which has managed to get thankfully agnostic without losing the essential point.

I can be outraged about a lot of shit, but still see, think and be good...it seems as though that's a dying art. There are monsters in this world, but that doesn't mean it has to be a world without Santa

[sabrina 1]

3. I know, people do get fixated on trivia. I guess that was my point, to expend that kind of

energy on things that are a problem, rather than on something that for the most part, brings a lot of happiness to a whole lot of people.

But I don't think it's a majority of people, there will always be those who have a need to turn anything they perceive as bringing happiness to others, into something controversial. Don't know the reason for that, but that too is part of human nature. Hopefully only a small part.

[sir pball]

5. I know it's not a majority, that's why I changed Virginia to DU..

A small set of us, it seems, really need to be reminded of...things. That's all I wanted to do and thank you for getting it!

[sabrina 1]

14. You did it very beautifully!

[Paper Roses]

4. I love this post because:

Why destroy the illusions of kids too young to understand what is going on in this strange world in which we live.
When my kids were young, we stretched the Santa illusion as long as we could, my daughter is doing the same with her kids.

What harm is it to foster fun, anticipation and excitement for those young people who, in due time, will face the reality of out times.

Phooey on those who doubt Santa, they have no heart!

It rained yesterday so there were no footprints on the roof but the cookies were gone and the hot chocolate was gone too. Bravo Santa and thanks!

[sir pball]

6. Honestly, it seems we have a lot of angry people here.

I think, honestly, some people want to be mean - to ruin children's dreams as a means to make them cynical and questioning. Not that being a questioning cynic is bad, but having your ideals of Santa thrown in your face is, well, fucking cruel.

[ColesCountyDem]

7. Always smile back at little children...

"Always smile back at little children . To ignore them is to destroy their belief that the world is good ."

[sir pball]

9. +1, and then some.

Teach your kids the world is bad, and they'll grow up into a bad world.

[panader0]

10. I usually smile widely at the little ones. In amazement.

They usually smile back. Sometimes in amazement. I love kids. Mine are grown (groan) and gone. Now I get to spoil grandkids.

[sabrina 1]

15. Bravo Santa indeed. And bravo anything that makes people believe that there is good in this world.

[heaven05]

8. superb

oh that I wished, at one time.

[Ohio Joe]

11. Santa is freakin awesome...

If you happen to be a child of wealth... For the poor he is nothing more than a cruel prank.

[sabrina 1]

16. Do you really believe that? That seems to imply that it is about how much children get from Santa.

Just one small gift from Santa, a teddy bear, can light up a child's life. Even if it comes from a thrift shop. It isn't about the cost of the gifts or how many they receive, it is about the fact that someone is thinking about them with love and someone thinks they are worth remembering for one day of the year.

[Ohio Joe]

17. Children are not stupid...

Many poor children get nothing.

[hughee99]

12. I stopped beliving in Santa when I didn't get what I wanted for Fitzmas a few years ago. n/t

[sir pball]

13. Hey, I knew he wasn't real when my dead pony didn't come back,

Doesn't mean I've ever stopped believing.

Thanks for the sarcasm, though