I applaud Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske keeping a blog; it allows her to “speak” to her constituents and the public at large about events and issues.  While I may not agree with her position on some issues (mainly the big box ban and her making Wal*Mart out as the Boogeyman), I applaud her putting her thoughts and positions forward on a constant basis.  One recent comment she made I agree with wholeheartedly.

 

In writing about the press “sensationalizing” the Bixby Knolls beatings of a year ago, her position on this being one I disagree with and seems to me to be trying to sweep it under the rug, Schipske concludes:

           

P.S. When are we going to discuss the fact that anyone over the age of 12 shouldn’t be going door to door asking for candy and that what is meant for a neighborhood event for children has turned into an adult or quasi-adult extravaganza.

 

 

Hear, hear!  I agree completely on this point.  Teenagers, young adults and big adults should either be standing on the sidewalk as the little ones scramble up porches and ringing bells shouting “trick or treat”, or should be at home passing out candy, or should be at parties or events that are age appropriate.  They should not be so lame as to put on some b.s. costume—if they even go to that effort—and slouching from door to door trick or treating.  You had your time.  And please don’t walk up the Front Porch carrying your infant dressed in a Winnie The Pooh costume and try to use the baby to get candy for yourself, this act is worse than the older teenagers who are looking for free candy.

 

We live in Bixby Knolls, a major street away from last year’s beating incident, and it seemed there were more older teenagers out than usual last year; I was not at ease all evening as we walked through our neighborhood with the kids.  Like many neighborhoods in the Long Beach area we have many Halloween visitors from other neighborhoods.  Neighborhoods where it might not be as safe as ours to walk with the kids and ring strangers’ doorbells asking for candy.  I have always taken the position that we should be thankful that we are fortunate enough to live in such a neighborhood, one that is safe and inviting to families to bring their children so they can experience the fun of Halloween.  Last year it seemed most of those we saw that were not familiar faces to us from walking to school or riding their bikes, were not little kids with their parents; but big kids (in several cases bigger than me) in groups.  As I said, we are glad parents feel safe bringing the kids to our street– but let the little kids be the ones enjoying the fun of running up porches and doors being answered by witches and ghosts and hobgoblins.   

 

Every year there are fewer and fewer porch lights on in our neighborhood and many others.  After last year’s tragedy a few blocks away I anticipate more porches will be dark this year telling little kids, “Go ring somewhere else, no candy this year.”  In Bixby it is not hard to understand why.  I remember reading aloud the story of the beatings at the kids’ ballet studio last year, there were several parents in the room listening—shocked stunned silence.  Then one by one they told of being aggressively “trick or treated” by groups of five or six large teenagers; or the sidewalks being crowded and big kids walking without even trying to let people pass but bumping into the kids and parents as if daring them to say or do something.  You could tell some were thinking, “what if my kids….” “did they ring my bell?…” and other questions.  People began to seriously consider the wisdom of opening their door to strangers in masks.  They have now had a year to ponder what used to be a normal act every October 31st.

 

As I said, there was a weird vibe in the neighborhood last year and evidently it was not just ours.  Ms. Schipske can accuse the press of sensationalizing the Bixby beating one year later, but for those of us in the area we know that a mob of punks and thugs have forever changed Halloween and it is a damn shame for all the kids who will walk past dark porch after dark porch.  That is the reality of this Halloween, not because of the sensationalizing of the press but because of the reality of the brutality of a gang of teenagers.  If Halloween had stayed as it was when I was no bigger than the doorknob, and I presume when Ms. Schipske was as well, when it was for kids under twelve, then chances are the incident never would have happened.  As well almost every porch would be lit and have pumpkins and decorations inviting the Lions and Tigers and Bears and Dorothys to ring the bell.  

 

Let the trick or treating be for the little cowboys, or princesses, or Doras, or SpongeBobs.  Let the fun and excitement of the evening be for them as they ring the bells and yell trick or treat; and for us on the other side as we see the cute kids from in their costumes and their faces filled with pure joy as they look in our candy basket to see what treats we are passing out.  Keep the disgruntled, “I’m-too-old-but-still-want-candy” kids away from My Front Porch.  Give Halloween back to our little ones.

 

This Halloween, no tricks, just treats.

 

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