I saw a story on the news earlier, and later read an AP article in the New York Daily News regarding the same issue today. There are several towns around the country that are now limiting the age of Trick-or-Treaters to 12 and under. Now I understand people using discretion as to whether or not they will give candy to older members of the halloween festivities. But actually enacting an ordinance that says teens will be fined and or JAILED for going out for free candy on a night where it is perfectly acceptable to solicit sweets from every house in the neighborhood is downright offensive.
Mayor Mark Eckert of Belleville, Ill., near St. Louis led a push in 2008 to ban trick or treating by high school-aged teens. His reason for this ban was because single mothers and senior citizens were complaining that "6-foot-tall teenagers" were showing up on doorsteps and frightening them. That's the point of the holiday, and what happens when a 6-foot-tall 11 year old who hit an early growth spurt shows up knocking for candy? Does he get turned away because he's freakishly tall for his age? It's discrimination at it's worst. Not only that, it's discriminating against children. And it's wrong.
Hans Broedel, a University of North Dakota History Professor and expert on early traditions, says excluding teens from trick or treating could make it more appealing for teens for do other, less desirable things.
Later, while searching for more rediculous Halloween Laws, I came across this gem:
Bruce Nolan of The Christian Century reports that Livingston Parish, Louisiana, has passed an ordinance that makes trick-or-treating on Sunday, unlawful. For the first time ever, the Parish of roughly 120,000 will observe Halloween festivities on Monday, November 1. In recent years, parish officials had discussed whether or not to observe the child friendly holiday at all citing its associations to the occult.
In 2003, Parish officials moved Halloween to Oct 30, to prevent it from coinciding with Friday Night High School Football. Then in 2004, the parish passed a law that says that Halloween will be observed on Oct. 31 unless it falls on a Sunday, then it will be observed on Monday.
The American Civil Liberties Union(ACLU) warned of threat to the religious freedom of anyone wanting to celebrate Halloween as a religious feast, although trick-or-treating is not part of Wiccans' observance of the day.
All in all, I feel that local governments are getting just a bit too involved in things that may not be such a top priority on the government agenda. Go balance your budget or something, I'm sure that's in need of some work, and leave the kids alone on the one night of the year when it's ok to go knocking door to door and simply saying, "Gimme Candy!"
To see what the fear-mongers have to say on this issue...go check out http://itfeelsright.blogspot.com/2010/10/trick-or-treat-not-in-my-backyard.html
I innocently asked Kacy last week, "Is Halloween gonna be on Saturday or Sunday?" She looked at me as if I had asked her "Is that an alien eating the doggas food?" or some other such insane question. I asked that question because although I am no longer in the SOUTHERN bible belt, I am in James Dobson's country. Not to mention every other obscene Mega church Colorado Springs can accomodate.Don't get me started on those Mega things....anyway she says "OMG Mama, Halloween is the 31st, so it's Sunday...when did you think it would be??" Well, grasshopper I asked because people are strange about the Halloweenie on a Sunday. Take for example, our own hometown, Bristol, Tennessee ( home of the fastest half-mile oval track in NASCAR) Just guess when Halloween was? Yeppers, it was tonight. So now I feel as if I have been taken out of the clutches of insanity and put right back into the normal. So Edwards...gimme candy!!!
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