The United States Postal Service just cancelled the 55-year-old Santa Letter Program. Basically, any letters sent to Santa without a specific address will now be shredded.

Since 1954, the good citizens of the small, friendly town of North Pole, Alaska have volunteered to open and reply to children’s letters, posing as Santa’s elves.  But the discovery of a registered sex offender about to participate in a completely unrelated program in the state of Maryland caused the USPS to cancel the Alaska program. Particularly galling is the fact that the Maryland incident occurred a year ago, and the USPS just announced this decision suddenly and without warning shortly before Christmas this year.

In the first place, the fellow in Maryland was discovered BEFORE he actually had a chance to respond to a child’s letter.  In the second place, the Maryland program has absolutely no relation to the Alaska program, which has been a proven success over the long term.  But that didn’t stop the USPS knee-jerk response.

The mayor of North Pole, Alaska and the Alaska congressional delegation are trying to repair the damage.  We’ll see.  Meanwhile, I offer the cartoon below, as it appears to be appropriate under the circumstances.

Yahoo! News — AK volunteers strive to save Santa letter service

Hartford Courant — USPS Annouces End Of ‘Dear Santa’ Letter Response

AOL News — Town Tries to Save Santa Letter Program

Wikipedia — You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch

UPDATE, Sat Nov 21, 9:31 am ET: From Yahoo! News comes this:

Postal Service to resume North Pole Santa letters

….A reversal of the Postal Service move was announced Friday….

The letters will now be answered under tightened privacy rules implemented nationwide by the Postal Service in response to security concerns that arose in a similar program in Maryland last year….