Paul Davis: It’s Christmas time in the city — my interview with Santa
GROK
The weekend of the 13th was a bad time for Philadelphia, as dozens of victims were shot in several criminal shootings across the city.
One bad shooting occurred near the Rothman Ice Rink in Dilworth Park on Friday night. The police suspect that both the shooters and victims are students from Freire Charter High School in Center City. Three teenagers were wounded in the shootout.
There was also a shooting in Feltonville, where one man was murdered, and four others were injured over the weekend. And there was a shooting at a sports bar in Strawberry Mansion, where one man was murdered and two others wounded.
I was standing behind the police yellow crime scene tape at the scene of one of the shootings, watching the police gather evidence, when a large fellow came up and stood next to me. He had a huge white beard and long white hair under a red cap with white fur trimming. The big fella was dressed in a red suit with a white fur collar and cuffs. He also wore a wide black leather belt around his amble middle and black boots.
The red suit looked like it kept him warm, but it failed to hide his girth and protruding large belly. I also noticed that he was hefting a large sack over his shoulder. Despite the grim crime scene, the big fella smiled at me as he puffed on a pipe.
“Anyone ever tell you look like Santa Claus?” I said with a laugh as I looked at the big man.
“Everyone, especially the children,” he replied. “For I am indeed the one and only Santa Claus.”
I introduced myself as a writer and I asked if I could interview him.
“Sure,” he said. He stopped smiling for a moment and shook his large head sadly.
“This is a terrible thing anytime of the year, but it is even more terrible during Christmas time in the city,” Santa said.
I agreed.
Santa pointed to a couple on a corner in Salvation Army uniforms behind a Red Kettle donation pot. One of the two rang a silver bell.
“At Christmas time there should be silver bells not silver shells,” he said as he pointed to a police officer who was picking up a shell ejected from one of the shooter’s firearms.
“Silver Bells, silver bells, it’s Christmas time in the city,” Santa sang in a deep baritone voice, which drew the attention of the crowd and the police. “Ring-a-ling, hear them ring, soon it will be Christmas Day.
“City sidewalks, busy sidewalks dressed in holiday style,” he sang. “Yet we also see dead bodies. You see strings of streetlights, even stoplights, blink of bright red and green, along with the police lights flashing.”
He took a deep puff from his pipe and then continued singing. “Still, in the air there’s a feeling of Christmas. Children laughing, people passing, meeting smile after smile, and on every street corner you’ll hear silver bells, silver bells.”
He stopped singing for a moment and said softly that one shouldn’t also hear gunshots ringing.
“It’s Christmas time in the city, ring-a-ling, hear them ring. Soon it will be Christmas day,” he sang loudly. “See the shoppers rushing home with their treasures, and no doubt they are in fear of being robbed of those treasures. But children are laughing, people passing, meeting smile after smile, and above all this bustle,” he sang, “We also see needless violence.”
Santa stopped singing and took a puff from his pipe.
“This is the time of year for loving, sharing, forgiving, and for praising the one above. It is not a time for Wild West shootouts. Don’t they realize I know who is being naughty and nice? I shall be paying them all a visit on Christmas Eve.”
Santa then shifted the heavy bag on his shoulder and bid me farewell.
“It’s Christmas time in the city,” he sang out loud as he walked away from me. “Soon it will be Christmas Day.”
Note: With apologies to “Silver Bells” songwriters Jay Livingston and Ray Evans and those who sang the fine song over the years, such as Bob Hope, Marilyn Maxwell, Bing Crosby, Carol Richards, Dean Martin, and others.
Paul Davis, a Philadelphia writer and frequent contributor to Broad + Liberty, also contributes to Counterterrorism magazine and writes the “On Crime” column for the Washington Times. He can be reached at pauldavisoncrime.com.
I truly feel sorry for Mr. Davis. As a crime and terrorism reporter he is constantly surrounded by violence and lives in a world where everyone is a potential threat. So I am not surprised at all by this Christmas Day column about death and rewriting the song “Silver Bells”, written by two Jewish men, into a dark nightmare.
Mr. Davis could have written about individuals and organizations outside of the government that are making positive change in their communities for a uplifting article. Instead he chose to focus on the worst moments in Philadelphia, hardly a suitable subject on Christmas. Given his obsession with crime since he was 12 years old it is time for him to take a break and write about people who want the best of their community, not the worst.
The dark side of Christmas is that it has no meaning for the lonely, the depressed, the emotionally hurting, it’s just another day which, because of the holiday expectations, carries additional hurt. Because of the circumstances surrounding young age shooters, it can be seen the community failed to socialize them. This is not to mitigate the lack of parenting, the lack of a good educational system and lack of supervision. Ultimately, the parents bear full responsibility. A long time ago I became acquainted with the saying: “if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” It is one thing for a community to want the best but quite another to actively work to get it. That is a 365-day commitment. I find the most starting aspect of Paul’s article was the feelings in me that remain after I thought I had them banished: Because of some experiences I had in Vietnam, I have always become very uneasy near any group of young children. These shooting brought them to the surface where I can deal with them. I’m grateful to you Paul.
And instead of focusing on individuals and organizations that make the 365 day a year commitment, he chose to focus on violence instead. Had he talked about these individuals and organizations they may have received much needed donations. He may have helped you, but he failed to help those who help others. Because it is always easier for conservatives to show that Philadelphia is a violent city, rather than people who want to be the change in their community.
Pointing out the realities of Philadelphia living is hardly focusing on the negative. It must be a very weak commitment on the part of charitable organizations if Paul’s posting deters them from their missions. Pretending that all is well and pasting a happy face on Philadelphia, does not do society a service. I think the posting is at once, a satire and a lament. Try reading it with that point of view.
This is not about whether a charitable organizations messaging is weak or strong, its about amplifying their message so they can do more. There are 364 days of the year when you point out what is like to live in Philadelphia. At Christmas time everyone should be helping to bring peace and joy into the lives of those who need it the most. Not putting a lump of coal in someone’s stocking.