Like we don't have enough in this country to get worked about these days, we now have another Christmas-related controversy to deal with.

The Washington Post (as reprinted in the Fargo Forum) recently published a commentary on the question of appropriacy regarding children sitting on the lap of Santa Claus.

Yep - it's come to that.

A photo with Santa is a time-honored holiday tradition - even if the kids often have a problem with it, bursting into tears as adults around them close in to get them to smile for the camera.

Now, amid the #MeToo movement, some parents (along with some psychologists and others) are questioning the wisdom of plopping the tykes on St. Nick's lap.

it's an issue, they say, of consent.

"Putting a child with a stranger and laughing as they cry just seems to be sending an opposite message than you send them any other day of the week or any other time of year," said one Mom from the Washington, DC area.

Can a child be scarred for life by a close encounter with a strange, imposing adult? Even if the adult is Santa Claus?

We welcome your comments on the subject.

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