(This article may not be suitable for young children.)

Like a scene from a disaster movie, the entire nation watched as the twin towers of the World Trade Center collapsed, as the military nerve center of our nation, the Pentagon burned, and as the nation is paralyzed by the threat of even more disasters. Thousands have been killed by this attack and thousands of more injured. There is probably not a person in the United States who does not at least know someone who was lost or lost someone by this event. Everyone was affected.

We have been told by the President to resume normal life. As we look to the month ahead, we all know that war is pending, more death maybe to follow, more terror lurking at our doors. Normal life at this time would mean for many people, preparing for the second largest retail holiday of the year, Halloween. This would mean purchasing many icons, such as costumes, props, and decorations that represent horror and death. Perusing the stores we see tombstones, body parts, and soundtracks of people screaming are being sold. In the past these were fanciful items, not to be taken seriously, but the past week we have heard real screams and seen real bodies.

At one store there was a t-shirt that simply stated ‘Who Died?’. This would have been thought of as humorous prior to September 11, 2001, now it brings back frightening memories. Does this mean that Halloween is to be ignored this year? Should we not decorate the front of our houses like graveyards or have ghosts hanging from our trees? There is a line to be drawn, but where?

Halloween is celebrated on a night when it was believed that the veil between the living and the dead was at its thinnest. Some beliefs had the dead walking the Earth, which is why you wore costumes to blend in with them. Others had gifts presented to these spirits, which may be the origin to todays trick-or-treat. Whatever the belief is, it is a night to show respect for our dead, not to desecrate them.

There is a line to be drawn; however, it is not in good taste to dress up as a victim of this attack or even a collapsing tower. It is also not a good idea to place the names of those missing on tombstones or to make it a scene that looks like a plane crash. It is best to use common sense and good judgment. If you cannot depend on your own judgment then ask others around you their opinion before embarking on a task that may bring you more jeers than cheers.  HalloweenMagazine.com is a good resource.

Halloween has become an essential holiday for the United States. Halloween helps bring friends and family together. Many neighbors meet for the first time while their children go trick-or-treating. Halloween is a multi-billion dollar industry that boosts the United States economy more than any other holiday except Christmas.

Not only should we celebrate Halloween, we should be more enthusiastic about one of our favorite holidays than we ever have.
 

Halloween is good for America!

 

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