Written by: Bill Colley
Posted: 23rd, 2012
My father mocked Miracle on 34th Street. More precisely he mocked a scene in the film. I must have been no more than 8 or 9 years old when I first saw the classic movie as the family gathered in front of the TV and in a climactic scene the lawyer representing Mr. Kringle had my father roaring. Just before Mr. Gailey has fifty thousand letters dumped on the judge’s bench he reads statistics about the volume of mail every year delivered by the Postal Service (at the time wholly a government department) and then reminds the court it’s a highly respected institution, the point at which my old man burst into laughter.
Many years later and long after he was gone his oldest son worked for the Postal Service and would find there are a great many efficiencies overlooked by critics but I believe nothing in popular culture did more to burnish the image of the mailman than Miracle on 34th Street. Which I’m sure you recognize is a movie about Christmas and applying some logic; therefore Christmas has been good for the Postal Service. And it isn’t just the movie. While working many years ago in a Postal sorting center my coworkers and I moved over one million pieces of mail in one overnight just days before the holiday.
How does the Postal Service today return the kindness to Christmas?
A woman in Cape May, New Jersey recently emailed me a link her husband stumbled across. What follows is the December Postal calendar:
https://www.usps.com/holiday/welcome.htm
Notice anything unusual?
The first day of Hanukkah is listed as well as the first day of Kwanzaa. Then check out the 24th and 25th days of the month. Offices are closing early on the former and there won’t be any delivery on the latter. There isn’t any further information. If you just arrived from Mars you could conclude there is something unique but which no one appears willing to share. Cathy in Cape May is a devout Roman Catholic and her husband is a patriotic American serving his country in uniform. They aren’t pleased. What would Mr. Cringle, Fred Gailey and the Ward Boss played by William Frawley think of the Postal Service today?
Speaking of men in uniform, a retired military officer of my acquaintance is one of the founding members of the Tea Party in these neck-of-the-woods. He has war time service, worked for two Presidents and was a member of the Shuttle Challenger Commission. While he isn’t a weekly church going American I think he represents most of our countrymen and women still holding strong beliefs about God, Jesus Christ and Christmas traditions. To paraphrase little Natalie Wood’s character in the movie, “They believe.”
This weekend Steve emailed me this synopsis:
A Christmas Carol
(Revised: 2012)
Our story begins with a phone call from my son Kevin this afternoon. He acquainted me with the modern day Mazzaneezer Scrooge. She’s the Principal at our grandkiddos’ elementary school in Powell, Ohio.
A number of volunteer Moms and Dads gathered together in the spirit of Christmas to plan and present this year’s Christmas Party/Program for the kids at Tyler Run Elementary School. Oh, I’m sorry, did I dare say Christmas? A thousand pardons, it was for a Holiday Party/Program.
During an early planning meeting, Kevin mentioned that he had a Santa Claus suit that he had purchased and worn at Ashley and Logan’s former school several years ago. All the Moms and Dads were delighted that Kevin could be the surprise Santa for all the kiddos during the party.
All was heavenly and bright until Kevin made the mistake of calling ahead to the school to inform the Principal, Mazzaneezer Scrooge, that he would be appearing at the door, dressed as Santa. As everyone, even Santa, has to be buzzed into the school, he thought it was the prudent thing to do so as not to alarm anyone.
Well, all Bah Humbug broke out. Mazzaneezer almost choked on her cup of political correctness. What to Kevin’s wondering ears did he hear…”Oh no, you can’t wear a Santa Claus suit in the school. It won’t be appropriate. It’s not in keeping with the theme of the children’s party. It’s a “holiday” party!” And then to demonstrate how her mind has been impaired by her obviously imbibing way to much Liberal Kool Aid….she made the asinine suggestion that perhaps Kevin could find a snow flake suit to wear instead of Santa Claus.
You know what Kevin told her she could do with this ridiculous suggestion. My friends, it’s probably good that I live 450 miles away from Powell, OH. Mazzaneezer Scrooge and I would have had a little sit down this afternoon. Probably wouldn’t have been pretty. So this is but a personal example of how far into the abyss of political correctness, tyranny of the minority and Liberal/Socialist group think we have descended. The MAZZAneezer Scrooge, AKA Jennifer Mazza, who deprived her students a visit from Santa Claus this year is:
Steve included the portrait of the Grinch. They aren’t all green and nasty. Some are blond and smiling but like the Postal calendar are much more subtle in the assault. Or maybe in her case there isn’t at all anything subtle. These people are helping with the raising of your children and we wonder why some grow up empty and shallow and raging and rampaging with guns.
Merry Christmas and God help us in celebrating many, many more.
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