http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/12/11/cried-all-way-home-santa-claus-grants-final-wish-dying-child/95315536/

I find it difficult to believe that Facebook, Donald Trump and the Iiks Klub, not to mention many other potential decent Humans Being haven't allowed that link to go viral. In a Good Way. In the midst and the mist of what we refer to as Christmas, it's good to experience a genuine tear in the eye. Or aye . . . whatever.

^^ WTF does Trump have to do with this? You just ruined this story and thread for me.

Jesus H. Christ...

^^ WTF does Trump have to do with this? You just ruined this story and thread for me.

Jesus H. Christ...

Calm down, Francis. RadicalModerate is a good poster.

Although an acquired taste, tbh.

Although an acquired taste, tbh.

Ha, that's fair.

Calm down, Francis. RadicalModerate is a good poster.

I couldn't care less who qualifies as a "good poster" or not. It's the subject matter and petty politic-injecting where it wasn't needed nor wanted. This was a heart breaking story that was turned around by a poster who tried to knock someone he/she didn't agree with politically. It was cheap and unnecessary.

Politics and cheap attacks against the "other guy" aren't needed in threads like this. This forum is overwhelmingly left leaning as it is (proof: look at the candidate voting results in the politics discussion) and I feel it needs to be checked every so often as is the case now.

I feel confident in saying that if I were to have said the EXACT same things RM said and replaced "Clinton" with Trump, I'm sure there'd be someone calling me out as well, or there would at least be some head scratching going on.

I couldn't care less who qualifies as a "good poster" or not. It's the subject matter and petty politic-injecting where it wasn't needed nor wanted. This was a heart breaking story that was turned around by a poster who tried to knock someone he/she didn't agree with politically. It was cheap and unnecessary.

Politics and cheap attacks against the "other guy" aren't needed in threads like this. This forum is overwhelmingly left leaning as it is (proof: look at the candidate voting results in the politics discussion) and I feel it needs to be checked every so often as is the case now.

I feel confident in saying that if I were to have said the EXACT same things RM said and replaced "Clinton" with Trump, I'm sure there'd be someone calling me out as well, or there would at least be some head scratching going on.

You're pretty insane. This was a thread about a touching story that you've managed to turn into a rant about your political musings.

http://rlv.zcache.com/retro_christmas_peace_sign_square_sticker-r07489c7f07f344b6ac53b22f27952233_v9wf3_8byvr_324. jpg

You're pretty insane. This was a thread about a touching story that you've managed to turn into a rant about your political musings.

All I did was voice my opinion that politics didn't need to be brought into this (and speculated why it was) and it ruined the sentiment of the thread for me.

YOU have now twice criticized and insulted me while defending RM even though what you tell me is exactly what he/she did in the first place.
Am I in the Twilight Zone right now?

While I'm not admitting fault or saying sorry, I now see how this thread is in fact being derailed so I'll stop here.

Please allow me to apologize for any misunderstanding--or injured feelings--that resulted from my heartfelt response to the OP's link.

I could have typed it better, and with fewer words.

What I was attempting to express, through my own real tears, was filtered through my emotions regarding the recent loss of a very close loved one, just before Thanksgiving.

What I was attempting to express was this: Humans Being Human need to realize that there are far more important and meaningful things with which to concern ourselves than the chaos of current events such as newsfeeds and etc. would have us believe.

Again: My apologies for any "hurt feelings" or "melted snowflakes." And with gratitude to the OP for sharing some thoughts worth thinking. Not only for Post #1 yet also for Post #9. And a very Merry Christmas to TU'caine. Really. Think about it.

All this internet drama over what appears to be a bogus story. LOL.

Everyone forwarded this viral Santa story. But it might not be true. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/everyone-forwarded-this-viral-santa-story-but-it-might-not-be-true/2016/12/14/8f462d3e-c232-11e6-9578-0054287507db_story.html?utm_term=.5c1390767038)

It was the feel-good story of the Christmas season about a feel-bad situation. It was so feel-good, in fact, that it may have been too good to check.

The Knoxville News Sentinel said Wednesday it could not verify a columnist’s account of a Tennessee man who plays Santa Claus and his encounter with a child as he died in his arms.

The sentimental story, published earlier this week, quickly went viral, turning a global spotlight on the man, Eric Schmitt-Matzen, who has played Santa Claus for nine years.

In interviews with The Washington Post, Schmitt-Matzen stuck by his story of being summoned to a nearby hospital to visit a terminally ill 5-year-old whose last wish was to see Santa. He described cradling the unnamed boy as he died last month, telling the child that he was Santa’s “number one elf.” He repeatedly declined to provide corroborating details of his story, in the interest, he said, of protecting medical personnel and the privacy of the child’s family.

In a story posted Wednesday afternoon by News Sentinel Editor Jack McElroy, the paper said it “has done additional investigation in an attempt to independently verify Schmitt-Matzen’s account. This has proven unsuccessful. Although facts about his background have checked out, his story of bringing a gift to a dying child remains unverified. The News Sentinel cannot establish that Schmitt-Matzen’s account is inaccurate, but more importantly, ongoing reporting cannot establish that it is accurate.”

“Therefore,” McElroy wrote, “because the story does not meet the newspaper’s standards of verification, we are no longer standing by the veracity of Schmitt-Matzen’s account.”

The Post also could not corroborate any details of the story, but its reporting also did not disprove what Schmitt-Matzen had told the newspaper in its original story, written by columnist Sam Venable.

Venable, a veteran writer who wrote the story based on an interview with Schmitt-Matzen, did not return multiple requests for comment.

I hope it's not made up :(