Friday, October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween, Looters!

The beef I have with Halloween is not its pagan origin (love it) or the silly costumes. It's not the glaring contradiction of letting kids run around in the dark accosting strangers in an age when taking any kind of photos of kids is being criminalized.

The fact that kids running around after dark might get them killed does not justify banning running around after dark. Just like the fact that guns can be used as murder weapons does not justify banning guns. Just like the fact that kitchen knives can be used as murder weapons does not justify banning kitchen knives. Just like the fact that drugs can get you addicted does not justify banning drugs. Just like the fact that photos of kids can be used by perverts to jack off does not justify banning taking photos of kids.

The problem I have with Halloween is that kids are being taught it's OK to blackmail people. Suddenly, kids that supposedly are too young to drink, to consent to having sex, to own guns, to drive, or to vote are expected to understand that "trick or treat" is only kidding, and that big-time blackmail is not acceptable in real life.

So is it witchcraft that every second a looter seems to be born?

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