First, there was Wing Run's atomic 30-wing challenge. Several years later, I went to Wakarusa. I for one am no stranger to experimenting with things that sounds great in theory but are catastrophic in practice--which is why I only feel a little bad for jabbing at Tulsa city councilors for working on an ordinance that would ban sex offenders from passing out candy or decorating their houses for Halloween.
From KTUL:
Halloween playfully tries to scare you, but the fright of potential harm to children was real at Thursday's city council meeting.
"I want to do anything I can to protect the children of our city," said Tulsa city councilor Jeannie Cue.
Councilors Cue and Moore are looking at a possible ordinance which would prohibit sex offenders from either decorating their homes or distributing candy on Halloween.
"You know, they're not allowed to go to parks, they're not allowed to go to different activities, do we want children to go to their homes?" asked Cue.
"How many children in Tulsa do you know of who have been molested in the home of a sex offender on Halloween?" That, from a self identified sex offender who sent an email to Councilor Cue.
"If someone has a tendency as a sex offender bringing and encouraging children to go to their house, does that increase their temptation?," asked Cue.
Uhm, how can they possibly enforce this? Will they send a policeman to every sex offenders house, apartment, and windowless white van to make sure there's no fun sized Snickers or pumpkins laying around? What about the convicted pervs who hand out candy at local church and shopping center festivals? Who will be able to recognize them while they are in costume.
More importantly--you know, because it actually applies to me--what about the good citizens of our community who turn out their lights, decline to decorate their home, and choose not distribute their candy for budgetary/business trip/awesome party elsewhere reasons? Talk about being blacklisted. I don't want people thinking I'm a sicko just because I'm watching Rocky Horror Picture Show at Guthrie Green. That means I'll have to hire a house sitter to give candy to trick or treaters. And what if that person is a sex offender? Does that make me liable and a sex offender? These are concerns that need to be addresses.
Anyway, this whole stunt seems to be driven by a quest for PR. That's usually the motive when people manufacture solutions for rare or nonexistent problems. And if they are going to target sex offenders that prey upon trick or treaters, can they do something about all the people who put razor blades in the apples? They should be banned from Halloween, too.
-
Follow Chelsea on Twitter at @xCawoodstock
