Santa Responds To NORAD Critics

NORAD is bad for Christmas.

Wow. 

Seems NORAD's tracking of Santa every year on a website that kids can follow along on is bad...'cuz at some point, I guess it has fighter jets escorting Santa and the reindeer on their global one night journey.

Here's a segment of one post I found on the subject at Chicks On The Right:

The Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood said the video brings violence and militarism to a beloved tradition. Others had similar criticism. Blogs and Twitter lit up with volleys from both sides.  

Oh for the love of politically correct Brillo tampons.  The post goes on:

Josh Golin, the coalition's associate director, reiterated his criticism in an interview with The Associated Press -- but he called the brouhaha "a media-manufactured controversy." The coalition hadn't known about the fighter jet video until reporters called, he said.  "Nobody in my organization was out there protesting," he said.  

It figures that a lefty (nowadays) bastion -- Boston -- would be home to something screwball like this bunch.  Then again, at least they're not weighing in on Santa's race, or PETA's ridicule of using reindeer in such a manner.  The post goes on with NORAD responding:

U.S. Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a NORAD spokesman, said he understands the critics' point of view but disagrees.  "We really do feel strongly that it's something that is safe and non- threatening, and not something that would negatively impact children," he said. "In fact, we think that it's a lot of fun."  

Ah, NOW we get to why some on the Left are attacking the annual NORAD Christmas website:  "it's a lot of fun".  To the politically toxic Left, "military" and "fun" cannot co-exist.  Davis continues:

Davis said the fighter escort is nothing new. NORAD began depicting jets accompanying Santa and his reindeer in the 1960s, he said.

And the Left is only NOW getting around to making an issue of it?  Of course:  (a) the Internet wasn't around for web videos like this before the past 20 years or so, and (b) I guess Bush-bashing is finally on the wane.  Davis continues:

And he insisted the fighters in the video are unarmed: They're Canadian Air Force CF-18s, with a large external fuel tank under the belly that might look like a bomb. The wing racks that would carry bombs or missiles are empty, he explained.  

Okay, now I'M pissed:  what's wrong with OUR OWN USAF F-15s, 16s, 22s, 35s, whatever the flight path we're using now?  Or did NORAD think that the Left would be appeased by using another country's Air Force, as opposed to our own?

*BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZER*  Asked and answered.  I'll bet if NORAD had Snoopy escorting them on his Sopwith Dawghouse, the Boston clowns would be having to find some mistletoe or an indestructible fruitcake attacking elves to whine about.

As for the original claim of "violence" being brought into Christmas....when NORAD has the escorting fighters -- or whatever -- shoot at something attacking Santa...or shoot down Santa, THEN there will be violence they can bitch about. 

The latter is just the thing the Left at pmsnbc will probably applaud.

I note that the NORAD spokesperson failed to explain WHY Santa gets an escort during part of his annual global journey.  That's an easy one to answer:  he has to fly through Chicago and Deadtroit.  An armed escort through those venues is SOP these days.

At any rate...I read it, so I'm sharing it.  And I sent the post to Santa at the North Pole, seeking official reaction.  He responded back with the picture at the start of this post, along with a note:  "Gift delivery at the homes of members of this Boston-based organization this year.  Ho ho ho".

Let us hope NORAD's surveillance equipment -- or the NSA -- isn't taking keepsake photos at those particular stops.