Every year around now, there's some story pretty much like this one that comes up in the MSM about how one group or another wants to ban Halloween. There are many reasons why this is a stupid idea. One is that, aside from Christmas of course, this is the second most expensive holiday of the year (decorations, parties, et cetera...I don't advocate spending a boatload of dough on Jesus' birthday either, but those two days are partly responsible right now for propping up our moribund economy, primarily in the fourth quarter).
Also, as pointed out in the article (by Eric Dietrich, I think, who is apparently the only adult in this story with common sense), Halloween is an opportunity for kids to play act creatively and retreat into a bit of a socially approved fantasy land (and I hope and pray that his remark about being "creatively weird" isn't prophetic).
But of course, a bunch of anal retentive adults have to get involved and mess it up for the kids, don't they? "Oh, somehow it will hurt my fragile sensibilities if little Johnny decides to play act as Anakin Skywalker turning into Darth Vader. He won't know the difference between reality and fantasy, and besides, he might bop little Taylor on her head with his light saber. And also little Crystal shouldn't dress up like Batgirl, because that means she will be promiscuous later. And they'll all end up as Satan-worshipping ghouls!"
People, unless there is something clinically wrong with your kids to begin with, you should trust their judgment at this time of year. Sure, if the partying or their choice of attire is a bit out of hand, you rein them in if necessary and let them bitch at you for it (we've been fighting battles like that with the young one with increasing frequency, but he is also learning that he has to be more selective in his choices because we're not a rubber stamp for whatever he wants). If they were already adults, then they wouldn't need you to do this for them. But you don't use parental confusion as an excuse to cancel their party altogether if they haven't done anything wrong.
Let me tell you about where I spent much of my day today. We helped out with the Halloween party at the young one's school, setting up games, snacks, and organizing the parade for the kids (the principal was dressed as Peter Pan, by the way). I should also point out that this was at a Roman Catholic elementary school. The kids had a blast and the adults had fun also (and some of them got dressed up and got into the spirit as well).
I have to confess an increasing level of disgust with people who want our kids to be brainwashed zombies with no notion of the theory of evolution, any familiarity whatsoever with the Harry Potter stories if the kids want to read them, or, for that matter, birth control or any means of contraception, filling their heads all the while with propaganda in an effort to scare them away from using their brains and God-given common sense. Trying to take away their ability to play act by canceling Halloween parties is part of this whole right-wing hammerhead mindset also as far as I'm concerned. Cultivating a creative instinct at an early age will enable kids to expand their abilities to reason, engage in problem solving, and perform critical analysis - all tasks that they will have to perform as reasonably intelligent adults.
(Oh, and by the way, I didn't see one kid out trick or treating wearing a mask of George W. Bush. I guess that's what happens when you have a disapproval rating hovering in the 60 percent range.)
(Also, prepare yourself to hear a lot of these arguments recycled shortly when "Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire" opens in theaters. I think the entire Harry Potter series is great because it encourages a lot of the activity I discussed above - kudos to Mrs. Rowling. Also, the stories teach the kids great lessons about teamwork, individuality, problem solving, and self reliance. And better yet, the kids have been READING them! But we can't have any of that in George W. Bush's America, can we now?)
Well, I hope you all have fun anyway...
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