Columbus never set foot on what is now the 50 states and I’m not here to defend the holiday- just wondering- are school children taught that some spirit of adventure is connected with Columbus Day?
Why do Americans celebrate independence from a powerful central government each summer?
Why celebrate the spirit of adventure on Columbus Day?
Seems like law enforcement resources should be used to go after individuals who are harming others- not for arbitrary crackdowns on people who have done nothing wrong.
The kind of scary that comes from telling ghost stories around a campfire.
Fear is a different thing, it’s not really about a mummy, vampire or a ghost.
Fear is more about an evil person in real life who does not look like a monster. Someone who blends in. Someone you might not even notice at the grocery store or at a campground.
Ever think about this stuff when you go tent camping?
Maybe you are out for a couple nights camping. This guy who escaped from the state mental institution is out there too. He is watching you, but you don’t know it.
For tent campers, there’s just a thin layer of nylon between us and the outside world.
Some of these guys might have to register when they establish a new address. No special requirement if they just want to wonder through a remote campground with no camp host or cell reception…
Out at that lonely campground there’s no waiting in line to show ID as is the practice at the border or the airport…
Want to get a good night’s sleep while tent camping? Don’t think about an escapee from a loosely administered State Hospital for The Criminally Insane.
If you are prone to these sorts of thoughts- just keep them to yourself. Don’t stay up and tell stories around the campfire that may turn out to be disturbing. Don’t remind your friends that the escaped psycho would have to fill out paperwork and wait on a background check in order to buy a gun, but that no screening is required for someone who just wants to gather up a few common items to use in creating a night of mayhem.
Don’t mention that no paperwork is required over at the hardware store to pick up a gallon of drain opener, a few road flares, or a propane tank.
Don’t mention that the fugitive could wait until everyone is asleep, silently open the valve on a propane tank and set it next to a tent. He could walk 30 or 40 feet away, catch his breath, then light and toss a standard road flare over towards the tent. There wouldn’t be time to get out.
Don’t remind your friends that they are far from any gated community with alarm systems or security patrols. Don’t remind them that people sleeping in tents make a soft target for escaped killers.
Photo at top of page courtesy of:
State Correctional Facility for the Detention of Criminally Insane Youth
Google Halloween Safety and see millions of pages set up to warn of Halloween dangers.
Anyone with a web site or blog- even remotely connected with communities or families is obligated to create their own Halloween Safety Tips page offering exactly the same tips covered on any other page on the web.
Too bad our culture has changed so much since the 60s and 70s. Back then we really had fun with Halloween. How did we make it trough those years without the constant safety overkill?
It’s clear that most of the WWII generation is gone now. They were self-reliant people who would have had no use for the dumbed-down messages of our modern culture- like this one-
A message to teach you and your family how to put candy into a bowl so you can pass it out to trick or treaters:
The fun of old school Halloween is just one of pleasures of our former popular culture that has become almost extinct.
My tips:
Halloween is meant to be fun. For just one night a year, try to lighten up and enjoy it. Things will get back to normal on November 1st.
Here are some tips to add enjoyment to this special holiday:
Consider relaxing bedtimes, curfew times and attitudes towards truancy.
Scary is OK, this is why people pay to ride roller coasters. Traditional Halloween images are meant to be scary to ward off evil spirits.
Skip the dopey “Harvest Festivals” and Carnivals put on by schools, churches, malls and businesses. Send the kids out in a traditional witch, devil or gargoyle costume. Don’t rule out oversized costumes that drag the ground and may trip the wearer. Consider the use of black or dark fabrics, some of which may be flammable. Cut homemade eye slits that quickly become misaligned and block the wearer’s vision. Real knives, axes or hatchets can add a chilly touch to homemade costumes. Running with a sharp object in the dark can be dangerous. Running can also be a great way to blow off some steam. Some may want to challenge each other to a race- just be careful.
It is against the law for kids to drink. It is against the law for stores to sell alcohol to kids. Don’t have a cow if you see an Elvira cut out poster near the Coors Light display. Have booze on hand to share with neighbors and any adult trick or treaters who may stop by.
Go with traditional, non factory wrapped, homemade treats like caramel apples, popcorn balls, cookies and cupcakes.
Teach the kids responsibility and maturity by letting them use large, sharp knives to carve their Jack-o-lanterns. Always use traditional candles to light the Jack-o-lanterns. Have the kids carve small, portable pumpkins to carry while trick-or-treating. Instead of flashlights, have the kids attempt to light their way with real candles in their pumpkins. Be carefull while riding in cars to avoid starting a fire with a candle which may come in contact with loose-fitting, flammable costumes. Be careful when entering homes, or moving around dry leaves or landscaped areas so as not to start a fire.
Earlier in October, we celebrate Columbus Day. Continue this spirit of adventure by allowing kids to visit unfamiliar neighborhoods, knock at darkened dwellings, or enter the homes of strangers. Cutting across lawns and landscaped areas and darting suddenly from between parked cars may be the fastest way to get from door to door.
Send the kids out on an empty stomach- this way they will have more room for candy before they get sick.
Remember the old tradition of having your Halloween candy X-rayed? It is still a good idea. Before the kids are allowed to eat any candy- round them up and carpool with neighbors to the hospital to get the loot X-rayed. The X-ray will reveal any needles, razor blades, or metal filings in the treats. Is there a test for weed killer or rat poison? Ask about it.
It seems that a secret international treaty has been signed- scary jacko’ lantern images are now outlawed.
Almost 100% of decorations available are kind of a Hallmark/Barney the Dinosaur sort of a theme designed for families and 4 year olds.
Not here to take those away- just wish that some of the retro themes were still available. The images were meant to be scary in order to ward off evil spirits.
Still searching…
Too early for Halloween decorations?
I insist on waiting until Christmas merchandise goes up in stores.
Remember the old tradition of having your Halloween candy X-rayed?
