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Sadly, most people now get a good portion (and some, all) of their news via social media.  This reporter finds it offensive because a great portion of what you read on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter, and in my opinion, the 'x' is an appropriate rating) is mostly opinion, seldom supported by facts.

In addition to politically slanted nonsense, a significant portion of those 'posts' are from people who busy their severely limited intelligence searching for something about which they can complain.

One of the most recent local controversies concerns one of the entries in the Lincolnton Christmas parade. The entry from the Odd Duck shop on N. Academy Street featured Krampus, a central European half-goat, half-monster legend that supposedly punished misbehaving children at Christmastime.  

There's more to the story, but that brief description should be enough to acquaint those not familiar already with the character; who, by the way, was the anti-hero of a 2015 movie (rated PG) about a boy who had a bad Christmas and whose lack of Christmas spirit summons the demon.  In the end, the dysfunctional family comes together to save one another.

Call it a local 'nightmare before Christmas' if you wish, but every Friday & Saturday from now through Dec. 23rd, the Odd Duck will have a visit from Krampus from 5 - 8 PM, and if a Christmas monster is something you'd care to see, you can take photos with the legendary monster free of charge.  

Of course, the legend of Santa Claus, the chubby man in a red suit who rewards children for being good, is also a myth--but that appears to have been lost on the nay-sayers who so strongly objected to the Krampus entry in our local parade.  

It is my sincere hope that whether you choose to add to your holiday season enjoyment via either of these legends, you will also remember what I personally regard as the true meaning of Christmas.  

Most of the discussions I hear about the problems of the homeless in our community center seem intent on blaming those who are without a home for various problems; and very few seem equally eager to do anything to help this segment of our population.  

When I first came to work in Lincolnton in the early 1970s, I started the Lincoln County Christmas Fund--a forerunner to Christian Ministry of Lincoln County.  That charity and others--including East Lincoln Christian Ministry, Eastern Catawba Cooperative Christian Ministry, Dallas-High Shoals Christian Ministry, and Hesed House--need your help to continue its programs at Christmas and throughout the year.  

For most of us, the celebration of Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus, even if we often get so involved with the other events of the season that we sometimes seem to forget what He said: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."  

We don't have gold, frankincense and myrrh for His birthday gift--bue He also said, "As you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto me."

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