Boo! US schools put the frighteners on scary costumes for Halloween
Clampdown on cloaks, masks and weapons that could upset or offend
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Independent Minds
AP
A girl in a party dress chases a toy bat as schoolchildren trick or treat in Burlington, Wisconsin this week.
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Be careful with those Halloween costumes: they might just spook someone. That, at least, is the prevailing wisdom in America's schools, where the national obsession with "trick or treat" is being compromised by the dead hand of political correctness.
In a country where few things are quite so terrifying as an expensive lawsuit, and pagan tradition sits uneasily with religious conviction, many teachers have started banning small children from dressing up in a manner that could upset, offend, or even scare their peers. Out go vampire cloaks, zombie masks, plastic weapons, and fake blood. In come "princess" dresses, cuddly animal outfits, and the occasional jauntily placed top hat.
Fangs and fingernail extensions are completely verboten; witches' robes are frowned upon. Instead, costumes must be broadly "positive".
Not all of this is new: US school boards have for years been issuing broad guidelines about costumes, accessories and behaviour that it permitted at the sometimes elaborate, and always eagerly anticipated dances and parades that take place each 31 October.
However, in the past, they've tended to clamp down only on outfits and accessories deemed either antisocial (messy, coloured hair spray, for example), dangerous (fake daggers, axes or other weapons) or in some way racially insensitive.
This year, by contrast, children are being prevented from wearing some outfits on grounds that they're ever-so-slightly scary – so could upset young people of a delicate disposition, or be offensive to conservative Christians.
In Illinois, a school district told its children to dress up as "historical characters" or "food items" rather than the more time-honoured option of witches and ghosts.
"We're balancing traditions with the times we live in," said a spokesman. "Several years ago, there was some push-back in our community. Some people thought Halloween was a Satanic ritual. Well, let's not say Satanic ... let's say they were not comfortable with what it represents."
Riverside Drive Elementary, a state school in the San Fernando Valley just north of Hollywood, meanwhile woke up yesterday to find that its sternly-worded memo to parents about "costume appropriateness" of their children at yesterday's Halloween parade had been leaked to the New York Times.
It specified six rules: "They should not depict gangs or horror characters, or be scary," read one. "Masks are allowed only during the parade," read another. "Costumes may not demean any race, religion, nationality, handicapped condition or gender," said a third.
Under Riverside Drive Elementary's guidelines, the newspaper wryly observed, Little Bo Peep would be considered acceptable, but her shepherd's crook would not. The school's headmaster declined to comment, but some parents were not so reticent.
"Can't parents have discretion?" complained Joel Bishoff, whose young son plans to attend the school's parade dressed as a box of breakfast cereal.
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Comments
If a disabled child, who needs a crutch to walk, comes along, does he need to carry a certificate to prove that he really is disabled and is not making fun of people who need a crutch to assist walking?
Is there any hope for a better future for our kids. They have plenty of time to worry about the everyday stresses of being an adult when the time comes. Have we become so wrapped as adults that we forget to let our hair down sometimes? I think we all need to step back and take a hard look at where were headed as a global community.
It's funny how were so concerned about this and that but when the sun goes down what do we end up doing? Some of us sit at home drinking and passing out candy. But the majority of us are out at the bars or pubs Halloweening it up and getting smashed. How responsible are we? Where are the designated drivers then? Lets stop worrying so much about what costumes are appropriate for our children and take a look at ourselves.
My 10 year old niece asked me the other day if I was dressing up and going out Halloween night. I said yes and her response was. "Be careful and make sure you don't eat too much candy and drink too much. I love you Uncle Joe." They say the cutest things but kids aren't stupid. They know what goes on after the sun goes down on Halloween night. And for those people who think Halloweens all about satan, I say let the air out of your bag and have a little fun for once! Get it? Got it? Good!
Joseph Blake
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
blakefun@aol.com
Maybe there should be a fluffy cloud instead, or jelly or something else soft and comfy. Cushions all round, and bean bags
Oh my Lord of ALL Beliefs help us return to sanity.
P.S. I do agree with the two comments about being offended by a Cereal Box or Christ costume, hehehe, even a an ice cream cone costume will have somebody offended these days., bah.
i can't wait to hear all the complaints from parents when their children are demonically possessed or stolen off to the underworld.
At any rate, schools might as well just do what our daughters school does......no costumes at all. On Halloween, as well as all other holiday type events, classrooms can have a 30 minute party at the end of the school day. Parents are asked to bring carrot sticks, celery sticks or fruit because the principal has declared this institution as a "no sugar school." It is extremely ironic that this witch weighs over 300 pounds and as one watches her waddle to her vehicle in the parking lot, one simply wants to vomit.
We plan to keep our 6 year old out of school and home school her next year. This is the advise of our sister in law who has been teaching for 16 years. She has 33 fourth grade students with 4 of them autistic. She was informed this past week that she and her fellow district teachers will be asked to accept a 20% pay cut next year. She has told them to ........well you figure it out.
America was once known as the melting pot. Unfortunately, the melting pot is controlled by those who wish to keep the ingredients separated. One hell of a bland meal if you ask me.