Everyone knows that Hurricane Sandy has been devastating for a lot of New Jersey residents, many of whom now find themselves homeless, hungry, and desperate as winter sets in. But we mustn’t overlook the forgotten victims of this disaster: The people who were really pumped to go trick-or-treating last Wednesday, only to have the holiday needlessly rescheduled by Governor Chris Christie to tonight. Suzanne Carson of Mullica Hill speaks for the oppressed in a letter to the editor of the South Jersey Times:
I am was very displeased with Gov. Chris Christie’s Executive Order to delay Halloween to Monday (Nov. 5). I am also displeased with our local governments for bowing so quickly without seeing what was best for their specific towns …
Never before have I felt the presence of the government in my home as loudly as I did on Oct. 31. I found it very contradictory to the motto of our country. I did not feel free.
Was it not Patrick Henry who declared, “Give me candy at the regularly scheduled time, or give me death”? It was. And aside from undermining the nation’s founding principles, the whole postponement thing was a hassle like you couldn’t imagine. First Halloween was one day, then it was a whole different day.
My two children, ages 5 and 8, know there was a hurricane, know that we were safe and sound inside our house, and know that we are back to business as usual in our area. As the storm progressed and phone calls came in, our Halloween plans changed daily. Waking up on Halloween morning we had a plan in place. By afternoon I had to tell my children of new plans, again.
Obviously, having to wait a few extra days to walk around and get free candy from neighbors was a traumatic experience for the children. But it was also a learning experience, because now they understand that The Government does stuff sometimes, or something:
My children learned a lesson about government. They learned that there are people in power who have the ability to make decisions that directly affect them. Many will say that our children will forget once they get their night out, but I don’t agree. As they grow older, and become adults, they will remember this as the Halloween that wasn’t.
And on their death beds, they will whisper, with their last breaths of life, “If only Halloween had been held on time eighty years ago. If only …”
