[dandelion]

I thought BurgerMeister MeisterBurger was dead.

[lowbridge]

Will There be a Santa Claus?
From the Editorial Page of FreeRepublic,
written by lowbridge, November 28, 2001

We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of FreeRepublic:

"Dear Editor--I am 8 years old.
"Montgomery County community of Kensington and two families that live within the community say there wil be no Santa Claus.
"Papa says, 'If you see it in FreeRepublic, it's so.'
"Please tell me the truth, will there be a Santa Claus?
Virginia O'Hanlon
115 West Ninety-fifth Street

Virginia, Montgomery County community of Kensington is wrong. They have been affected by the fascism of a politically correct age. They do not feel comfortable except they offend. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All liberal minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's are little. In this great universe of ours liberals 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 will be a Santa Claus. He will exist 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 state of Maryland if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no child-like faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in state and commuinity standards of politially correct offenses. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not have a Santa Claus! They might as well not have wedding ceremonies! They might get government agents to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did arrest Santa Claus, what would that acomplish? A community board bans Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there will be no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men, nor town boards can ban. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? In Maryland, of course you did, but that's no reason to arrest them. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the voting machine and see what makes the chads inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the politically correct liberal democrats that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus in Maryland! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever in FreeRepublic and Maryland. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

[arielb]

What about the people who aren't offended by Santa but they are offended by the tree?

[lowbridge]

Mayor Lynn Raufaste said council members in the town of 1,700 voted against Santa "because two families in our town felt that they would be uncomfortable with Santa Claus being a part of our event."

Two families get their way over a town of 1,700 residents because they would be "uncomfortable".

They must be the town monarchs.

Who are these families? How do they get so much power? And since when and how does Santa Claus make them feel "uncomfortable"? And why does the rest of the town have to suffer in order to make them feel better?

[StDonTheBaptist]

This is one of those articles where we are presented with the "what" but not the "why".

Were the 2 families offended because all religious references to Christmas were being revoked, but Santa was being kept?

Perhaps the families believed that Santa was being presented as the only focus of the Christmas tree?

Just a thought.

[Lecie]

Want to express your thoughts to the Kennsington City Council ?

mayor.council@tok.org

susan.engels@tok.org

louise.hamilton@tok.org

shirley.watson@tok.org

cmark.joel@tok.org

[tellw]

I live in Silver Spring. Anyone interested in freeping this event maybe with some caroling?

[Gabz]

Unfortunately my local newspaper does not post its pictures on its website, or I would have put the picture that appeared onthis mornings front page.

it is a picture of the Mayor of Dover, DE standing with Santa Claus this past Monday night as the trees in front of City Hall were lit!!!!

I could not help but think about the folks of Kensington, MD when I saw that picture. Even the far-leftists in the northern part of this state include Santa in holiday festivities!!!!

The accompanying article is about our high school football team which is playing in the state championship this weeken for the first time in 13 years. The Mayor wish list for Santa Clause - a win for the Senators on Saturday!!!!

[Goetz_von_Berlichingen]

"But for now, the easiest solution was to cleanse the tree lighting of any religious symbolism.
So Santa had to go."

Santa Claus is a religious symbol?
Does that mean that Jingle Bells is a hymn?
That Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a religious procession?

With news stories (and legislators) like this, The Onion has some serious competition from regular papers.

[Frumanchu]

Here's my suggestion. If I were a resident of this town, I'd be either buying or putting together a Santa Claus outfit. I would encourage everyone I knew to do the same, and we'd show up to that ceremony as the Kris F***ing Kringle Parade.

What a load of $h!t...

[Wil H]

Festive red, white and blue lights will provide the holiday glow

HOLIDAY? What Holiday? Just what holiday are these people celebrating and why are they spending public money on a tree?

I don't understand. If there is no Santa Claus and there is no Christmas just what are they celebrating?

[rogercolleridge]

Hmmmm....why can't these two offended families "embrace cultural diversity"!!!! By the way, what religion doe Santa Claus represent??? Also, why bother having any kind of ceremony at all??

[healey22]

I heard some guy on local radio called "old timer" say he is going to show up as Santa at this event. This should be interesting.

[jackd]

AHHHHHHHH ! Another case of the tyranny of the minority.

[Hail Caesar]

"Kensington Town Council: Your uninvited guests have arrived. We have just come from church and are mad as h*ll - we mean heck - :-) and we're not gonna let you commit cultural tyranny upon our families anymore."

The battle begins 3:30 p.m. upon the 2nd of December in the Year of Our Lord 2001. Join us! - All FReepers welcome!!

Details here:
"Operation Infinite FReep - TRT commandos/FReeper militia to raid Kensington anti-Santa ceremony 12/2"
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/580536/posts

Onward Fellow FReepers. ;-)

[DoughtyOne]

Don't you think it's time you followed through with your reservations?  It won't be the same without you at FRiva Las Vegas.
See details below.

Hello there my sweat.
 

Mr Wastewater gave me a gingle.  Seems they had a bit of a problem after you left.

Let's get you on your way.
 

Harriot Willingsdead
 

Here's two fer five, that isn't so bad.  Your games alive.  I'll bet you're glad.

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