Opinion: Santa removal is pointless, PC overreaction

Did you know Santa Claus was a religious figure? I sure didn't, but that's why cheery old Saint Nick will not be making an appearance at the Children's Learning Center during their annual party on Dec. 2.

Now, I know this holiday character is derived from Catholicism, and so there are some minor religious connotations with this kindly old man. But who really knows that? No one today looks at this legend from a religious aspect, least of all children.

In an effort to maintain political correctness, Santa Claus got the axe, so patrons of other religions who have holidays this time of year would not be upset that their respective patriarchs are not represented at the party.

This is just silly.

OK, so assuming Père Noël represents Christianity, what is supposed to be the Judaic character? I was raised Jewish and don't recall a rabbi touting the Menorah all over Israel for eight nights. There is nothing even remotely similar to Old Man Christmas in this faith. Chanukah is about a miraculous event and Jews celebrate it as such.

Sure, there is gift giving, but most don't lose sight of the story behind the lights. One man traveling all over the world to give presents to kids has no connection to the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. There is no correlation here, so I don't see this Semitic group having a problem with Santa popping in to give kids some gifts.

At least Chanukah revolves around a religion. Kwanzaa, which begins Dec. 26, has no religious basis. It is a cultural holiday. People can celebrate Kwanzaa and Christmas without any level of hypocrisy. The seven-day festival is centered on the reunification of African-American culture. There's no character at the head of this holiday either, so why should it infringe on Santa Claus's work?

Lastly, I'd like to look at another religious holiday, Ramadan. Granted, this month of fasting does not always fall during this time of year, but it happens often enough to warrant merit. Muslims fast during this time to honor Allah. This is not a month of rejoicing, but rather a month of piousness and prayer. Hypothetically, if there is a child of Islamic faith who attends the party Dec. 2, just let his parents know what will happen during the event. If they have an issue with it, I'm sure they will find alternative means of childcare for that one day.

The most obvious solution, and frankly the most pragmatic one, is to teach these children about each one of the afore-mentioned holidays. Instill a sense of tolerance in children from a young age. We as a society have become so afraid of upsetting our comfortable neutrality that we have slipped into complacency. Rather than educate, we cut. Rather than teach understanding, we push the good and the bad under the rug. It's a trend that we have been spiraling down for the better portion of two decades and it's high time we stopped this progression in its tracks.

The sad reality is, as of right now, the world has become too serious for Santa Claus. The joy we all knew growing up is slowly sliding to its death, only to be replaced by fear masked as political correctness.