Why does Santa need a fighter escort? Children's groups outraged as NORAD militarises Christmas Eve

Daily Mail (U.K.) ^ | 4 December 2013 | Daily Mail Reporter

[DogByte6RER]

Why does Santa need a fighter escort? Children's groups outraged as NORAD militarises Christmas Eve tracker

• NORAD officials say the inclusion of jet fighters is a nod to the true mission of the agency - which is to track and intercept airborne threats

Outraged child advocates are blasting NORAD's new 3D Santa Tracker program because it includes a fighter jet escort for jolly old Saint Nick.

Some say the new online portrait could give kids the wrong impression about Santa Claus - associating him with the military and violence.

But Pentagon officials argue the North American Aerospace Defense Command is a military organization - its purpose is to track incursions of the airspace over the U.S. and Canada - and the inclusion of fighter jets into Santa's new digital flight across the world is a nod to NORAD's true mission.

Josh Golin, associate director of the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, says the new campaign is ‘reprehensible’ since it played on children's fears by suggesting that Santa Claus was vulnerable to attack.

‘It's a backdoor way of marketing to kids when they are not supposed to be recruiting until they are much older,’ he said.

Allen Kanner, a child psychologist with the same group, told the Boston Globe: 'Children associate Santa with gifts and fun and everything else that is positive about Christmas.

'They are associating this with the military in children’s minds. It is completely out of line.'

[DogByte6RER]

Some people need to get a life ...

[ComputerGuy]

Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood

I fear Western Civilization has tipped too far to ever right itself.

[BenLurkin]

"Outraged child advocates are blasting NORAD's new 3D Santa Tracker program because it includes a fighter jet escort for jolly old Saint Nick. "

[2ndDivisionVet]

I’ve decided that people like this aren’t worth defending or being countrymen with. How do they think this nation came into being or stayed free? When can we get a divorce?

[SkyDancer]

Geeze Louise .... it’s fantasy not real. Good Grief!!!!!

[newnhdad]

Has anyone asked this tart how is Santa supposed to defeat the SAMs and high altitude radar unless he has an escort? Some people...

[PhiloBedo]

I think kids would like this......especially boys.

[Gabz]

Some people need to get a life ...

EXACTLY.

I have come to actually HATE these type people.

[Kirkwood]

If you don’t want your kids using the NORAD “Santa tracker” then make your own tracker.

[OrioleFan]

Or better yet, let Obama design your Santa tracker. If you like your Santa tracker, you get to keep it...

[KarlInOhio]

Wait 'til they figure out the whole "making a list and checking it twice" and how it relates to the NSA.

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

Well, if it’s good for our ‘Socialist Santa Clause’ (Obama), it’s good enough for the big guy!

[Star Traveler]

Stupid people!

[Tammy8]

I may be crazy but it seems to me NORAD has been doing this for years...seems to me they tracked Santa on radar during the Cold War. Am I crazy? I swear I remember reports from NORAD on Santa’s progress on Christmas Eve, they made it sound all mysterious as if they didn’t have a clue what the “object” was they were tracking...

[ApplegateRanch]

I’m outraged by ginned up phony outrage by the perpetually outraged.

[LittleBillyInfidel]

FRAGILE PSYCHE ALERT!

[MeshugeMikey]

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

Perpetual outrage must pay real good.

[smokingfrog]

you can't be too careful these days

[sten]

*pssst*

the fastest jets couldn’t even begin to keep up with the jolly ol elf.

he does every last mile in a single night... including stops for carrots, cookies, and careful delivery