World Peace and a Pony, Part 5.

Dear Bobby:

I read your letter about your friend's brother, and I must say, first of all, that for your age, you are very perceptive and compassionate. I was moved by your empathy towards others and your love for all of humanity; to see this in a child is an amazing thing. I am honored to receive a letter of such a noble purpose. Yet, I am afraid that I must disappoint you.

Bobby, peace is a wonderful thing. Yet the world today is complex and full of things that even I do not understand. In fact, I might be right to say that nobody understands why the world is the way it is. Sure, people have their theories. If you look back into history, a lot of the things that are going on today are more understandable. That doesn't justify or excuse them, but it can help explain them.

Bobby, I am not a politician. I am merely powerful enough to grant material wishes. At times, I wish there was more that I could do, but I am not cut out for that act.

I understand that you will be disappointed in me. I understand that you will doubt my powers, maybe even doubt my existence. You might think that your parents wrote you this letter as a 'life lesson' or something to that effect. I won't take it personally. It happens more often than you would ever know.

But Bobby, no one person can bring world peace. Not you, not I, not your senators, not your president, not the head of the United Nations. None of them can do it no matter how hard they try, no matter how much they want it.

This isn't a teamwork thing, this isn't a place where we can accomplish anything we want to by working together. This is just a simple fact that I have come to accept: there will never be peace.

There will always be fighting in the world because there are a few basic, ugly truths that are universal in the world today.

First, might makes right. If you can threaten enough pain on someone, they will do what you want. And if they don't do what you say, then no holds are barred. This goes on all over the world and has throughout history.

Second, the golden rule: Those with the gold make the rules. This is an obvious truth that you will certainly understand when you get older and have to deal with money. Money is power, see point one.

Third: People are liars. People lie because they think it can give them control over the past, the present, and the future. A well-constructed lie told by a skilled liar can fool the majority of people. And when you fool people, you have power over them. See point one.

Bobby, I know this isn't what you wanted. This isn't what you expected. It's probably not what you deserve. But this is the last lesson: life is not fair.

You did not expect this, and you probably are wondering why I would write this. Well, Bobby, keep this letter, and in time you will understand.

Yours truly,
Santa Claus



Bobby cried after he read that letter. Not right after, not a minute after, but years after.