Clovis not spooked by Halloween fun

Project: Reader Reaction

A recent Project: Reader Reaction question asked about Halloween. Some responses:

“Halloween, as in any activity, can be fun or evil. I believe this age-long tradition should be a fun time for children. We as adults should find ways to pass along the fun times for our children. There is enough evil in our world. If a child is taught that it is a fun thing it will be. Only adults can make it an evil thing.”

— Jim Sitterly, Clovis

“While Halloween has its roots in religion, I think that for most people today, it’s an evening of fun and that you can make the day itself as evil or as much fun as one cares to make it. As a kid, I always went out ‘trick or treating’ and my parents were never concerned, nor did they accompany me. I always went with friends from the neighborhood. We never did bad things to others, but it was more of a contest to see who could collect the most goodies. Today, parents are concerned for their children’s safety for a number of reasons and most children are accompanied by their parents. Parents are concerned about contaminated treats and abduction of their kids. Residents are concerned about vandals smashing their pumpkins, which may be decorating the outside of their homes. It’s not like it used to be, but it can still be a fun night.”

— Bob Baker, Clovis

“Halloween ... has been celebrated by the Celtics, the Druids, and the Catholics. The practice of Halloween, as we know it, is truly American. It is a holiday for children and the young at heart. It reminds us all of a gentler, kinder time in our recent history when children were safe in their own neighborhoods. The only thing evil about Halloween, is our loss of innocence.”

— Gail Adkins, Clovis

“Halloween is a scary time of year. It’s not the elaborate costumes or the teenage pranksters that scare me though. It’s not the happy little ghosts and goblins that go door to door for candy either. The mentally unstable people who think this holiday is evil really scare me the most. It just chills me to the bone!”

— Richard Lopes, Clovis

“Halloween is supposed to be a fun time for the kids and even for adults, but with a few idiots out there putting razor blades in apples, etc., it’s definitely become an evil in disguise. Kids should not be allowed to roam the streets anymore unless they have a responsible adult to watch over them very closely. The trend is to have organized parties, which I firmly believe is the only safe way to celebrate Halloween anymore.”

— Michael Williams, Clovis

“Halloween is a holiday when we all get the chance to be a child again, depending upon how much we enjoy life and are able to remember our own Halloweens. There will always be a down side to any happy occasion — too much candy and possible stomach ache. But life is so very short — so laugh and enjoy it while you’re here.”

— Patti Cundari, Clovis

“Halloween has lost its meaning and purpose for the children. When I was young, growing up in Vermont on the farm, Halloween was a fun time: dunking for apples in the washtub filled from the brook, hearing people laugh, trying to get the apple dangling from a string over the threshold as mistletoe did at Christmas. It was always a fun time and never one to harm or hurt.

“Yes, there were those who rolled pumpkins down the hill and threw rotten eggs. But being country, we were never allowed to venture too far, and we were always supervised.

“Today, however, they bus and truck college ‘kids’ from Portales, and beyond, to our quiet streets of Clovis. Are they here for treats? My lawn the next day says not. Supervised? Not hardly! If they have a designated driver it would be nice to know. We turn off the outside lights and have security measures in place. Local children are welcome and given a safe, sealed treat. When the buses roll down the road full of howling college kids the lights go out and the scanner is full volume.”

— Denver Jones, Clovis

“The history of Halloween is far too detailed and convoluted to explain in a brief comment, but it has more to do with ‘religious’ than ‘satanic’ tradition. But its history has little relevance to the modern celebration. Any observance we practice today is what we choose it to be. However, I do think if there was a real flesh-and-blood devil behind one of those masks ... it would make the celebration and the world a whole lot more interesting.”

— Wendel Sloan, Portales