Opinion : Does Halloween typify everything that’s wrong with modern society?

It’s that time of year again when thousands of pumpkins are wasted and children run amok demanding ‘treats’ from terrified neighbours.

In an age where so many are going hungry, relying on food banks and short of food how can the wealthy justify the waste of perfectly good food, such as pumpkins, just to turn them into quirky lanterns with scary faces?

Indeed it makes me sick to see good food wasted and pumpkin lanterns are surely the most wasteful celebratory aid in modern society?

Then of course there is the act of ‘trick or treating’ where young children are taught to visit neighbours and demand ‘treats’ otherwise they will play a ‘trick’ on the innocent home owner.

What sort of parent allows children to run around demanding treats? This sort of activity is something that has no place in a modern, caring, sharing society indeed my good self would like to see Halloween struck from the calendar.

For many Halloween is not about fun, it’s about surviving without damage to ones self or property. Here are my top tips for a safe Halloween :

• Under no circumstances open your front door to trick-or-treaters. If you need to speak to any callers do so through an upstairs window.
• Ignore any knocks on your front door unless you know a visitor is expected. If you pretend to be out there is a good chance the caller will go away.
• Leave outside security lights on so as to deter anyone from calling at your house.
• Keep a camera handy to take pictures of anyone who may cause damage to your property.
• Seal your letterbox so no nasty objects can be pushed through into your house.
• Keep a bright torch handy and if you do speak to a caller hold the torch in front of your face and shine the light on them. That way the light will dazzle them and they will not know who they are talking to.

Sadly yours truly fears that Halloween will be with us for years to come and it will fuel a new generation of hateful children who think only of the treats they can get for themselves.

If you are unlucky enough to be the victim of an anti-social Halloween attack then you have my deepest sympathy.

I hope your Halloween passes off safely and without incident. Sadly I fear some residents of the town will be traumatised by the actions of the few who use All Hallows Eve to carry out their despicable acts of antisocial behaviour on those who live close by.

What do you think?

My blogs are published every Tuesday and Friday evening around 8.00pm here on the WycombeToday.com website.

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