In response to an article posted earlier today on DefendingSanta.com the makers of papasanta.ning.com have closed down their site. Could this be a signal of a truce in the so-called Santa wars? We certainly hope so.
We also take heart in a post made on ClausNET by Santa Tim Mack, which reads:
Dear Santa,
It has been many a years since I have written a letter to you. I have been a pretty good boy this year and there are a few things I really want for Christmas. Here is my wish list.
Last March in Gatlinburg, 500 or so of your helpers stood and recited an Oath pledging to uphold 8 principles. I wish all could hold true to this Oath. I resigned from Celebrate Santa last July for a personal reason between Joe and myself. I wish that could have been different. I also wish that Joe would not have spoken out in anger about the Oath as he did. You see Santa; we all have tempers and say things we really don’t mean. I also wish that Celebrate Santa can find a way to pay their commitments to Cascade Engraving and Santa America. This way Joe and Mary can move on with their convention and we can all move on with them. I also wish that some how and some way the Oath will be present at the 2010 CS.
My second wish Santa may be more complicated than the first. We all have our own personal relationship with Christmas and religion. We should all understand this about each other. A person can be a of any denomination and still be one of your helpers. We all need to have respect and tolerance for each others beliefs. Maybe that is a gift you can give all of us Santa.
My third wish this year is to let all the past misunderstanding go that have been part of our Santa community for too many years now. Maybe Santa, the couple of websites that check up on fellow Santas can be just deleted quietly and never spoken about again. Maybe Santa we can let bygones be bygones and move forward with one common goal, being the best Santa we can all be.
My fourth and finale wish Santa is that all your helpers understand that they are just that, your helpers. None of us are the real Santa. Sometimes a few of us forget that. There is only one real Santa Claus and he lives in the hearts and the memories of all of us, he lives in the faith and belief of a child and he will live on making glad those who believe long after all of us are gone.
Well Santa that my wish list. Hope Mrs. Claus is doing well. Say hello to all your elves and reindeer. I’ll leave out some cookies and milk for you on Christmas Eve. You better get to my place early though Santa, as cookies don’t last long around my house!
Sincerely,
Tim Mack
Just Another Helper
We applaud these sentiments and these actions.
We call upon others in the overall Santa community to take similar steps in reconciliation by working together to close the divide and perpetuating the positive image of Santa. Let’s hear some more good news!