After 16 Years, Town Returns to Nighttime Trick-or-Treats

Oil City, Pennsylvania has allowed Halloween trick-or-treating only in the afternoon since a child murder that occurred in 1992. This year, urged by a 5th grader, the city council unanimously voted to allow trick-or-treating to return to evenings.

The 16-year precaution is an example of the unreasonable fear people attach to Halloween. The victim wasn't even killed on Halloween. Rather, she was abducted on the evening of Oct. 27 and found dead on Oct. 30. The death had nothing to do with Halloween, but still the city council insisted children shouldn't be out after dark on Oct. 31. Seriously, if they were going to single out a single night, wouldn't Oct. 27 make slightly more sense? (I emphasize "slightly".)

We all want to protect our children, and parents should, of course, always take reasonable precautions. But we're developing a culture in which we think unreasonable precautions will somehow guarantee our children's safety. Singling out one night is not going to protect children. Teaching children to fear the dark rather than respecting it and taking proper precautions is not going to protect them either.

Full story: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/29/scared.town.halloween.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview