Santa needs to bring us some sanity before rage consumes our Christmas spirit

  • By Petula Dvorak The Washington Post
  • Wednesday, December 23, 2015 3:54pm
  • OpinionCommentary

Santa, baby, just slip a little something useful under America’s Christmas tree.

We don’t need hoverboards, Apple watches, drones or the pie face game.

Our country needs courage. Reason. Sanity. But we’d settle for sedation.

Maybe a Valium in every stocking? Probably not. And if Santa did bring us some meds to soothe our collective rage, pharma bro Martin Shkreli would find a way to price gouge it.

There is too little Christmas spirit and too much fear and outright hatred.

On Monday morning, the schools in Nashua, New Hampshire, closed after a threat of violence supposedly aimed at two high schools. This, of course, follows the closing of the entire Los Angeles County school district after officials received similar threats last week.

The overreaction is understandable. There have been nearly 150 shootings on school campuses since 20 first-graders and six adults were killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary rampage three years ago.

Oh, wait. A university professor in Florida insists that the Sandy Hook massacre was all a hoax and even harassed parents of one of the children killed, demanding proof that their little Noah was real and evidence they are the rightful owners of their dead child’s photographic image.

Don’t we all wish that wasn’t real.

Instead of passing common sense background checks and other limits that the majority of responsible gun owners support, the majority of our lawmakers did absolutely nothing.

Out of fear. Fear of the gun lobby and their millions in campaign cash and their army of angry voters.

Santa baby, slip some courage under their trees, please.

This week, as Christians across the country and the world celebrate the birth of a baby to two Middle Eastern refugees seeking shelter in a stable, too many people are buying into crazy talk about refugees, immigrants and Muslim Americans.

People have raised the possibility of internment camps for Muslims. The leading contender in the Republican race for the Oval Office has suggested that Muslims not be allowed into the country.

Earlier this month, I met the family of a Muslim Daisy Scout who worries she’ll never be able to leave America because she won’t be let back in. My children’s own classmates have worried aloud that the Muslim children in their school will be seized and deported.

More than half of the nation’s governors have said that Syrian refugees fleeing the holocaust in their homeland will not be welcome in America. There are few things less charitable than that stance.

Thousands of people gather at rallies staged by Donald Trump to cheer insults aimed at Muslims, Latinos, women, protesters, Republican rivals and anyone else he feels moved to heap hatred upon.

In Texas, Agriculture Secretary Sid Miller has declared that he is going to slap anyone who wishes him “happy holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” this season.

It keeps getting harder to recognize our country amid all this ugly, mean-spirited rhetoric.

Santa baby, please bring this country courage. Tie a bow around some reason. Pack a giant heap of sanity into all our stockings. Hurry down that chimney.

Petula Dvorak is a Washington Post columnist.

Talk to us

More in Opinion

Ben Ramirez is doused with water by teammates after the AquaSox beat the Emeralds to clinch a playoff berth on Monday, Sept. 4, 2023, in Everett. (Photo provided by AquaSox)
Editorial: City’s $1 million an investment in Everett baseball

Contracts for preliminary work on an AquaSox stadium honor team’s 40 years of family fun and tradition.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Tuesday, Dec. 5

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

civic health white board
Editorial: Improving civic health starts by coming to table

Efforts locally and at the state level seek to counter the incivility that has mired public discourse.

From the bodycam footage of Everett police officer Ryan Greely and footage from Molly Wright, Wright films officer Greely before he arrests her for obstructing a law enforcement officer on Aug. 10, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Screenshot from a video provided by Molly Wright)
Editorial: Duties on both sides of camera during arrests

The right to record police activity is clear, but so is the need to respect the safety of officers and others.

Macro photo of tooth wheel mechanism with imprinted RECEIVE, GIVE concept words
Editorial: Get back into charitable habit for Giving Tuesday

Inflation sapped donations for charities last year; things may be looking up this year for more.

Distributor backs deposit return law for beverage containers

In response to the recent 16 editorial (“Making recycling work better takes… Continue reading

Why won’t Congress fix Social Security, Medicare funding?

I have consistently heard how Social Security and Medicare are going to… Continue reading

Harrop: Isn’t most of the food we eat ‘farm to table’?

The term is meant to play up locally grown produce, but who’s growing bananas within a 25 mile radius?

Saunders: Schools’ student absence rates should alarm everyone

National math and reading scores have hit historic lows, Education Week reported in October.

Comment: A GenZ voter has some campaign advice for Biden

Despite what polls and pundits are saying, Biden can win by touting what’s he’s already done for Americans.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Monday, Dec. 4

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Comment: Officials, citizens can make pledge to build bridges

Two Snohomish County Council members are calling on all to work past incivility in our public lives.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.