In Michigan, they’re sparring with the spookiness of exclusion.
Amid the fight, socially conscious administrators are canceling Halloween.
As relayed by the Lansing State Journal, leaders of East Lansing elementary schools have canned the kooky holiday.
As it turns out, schools really do care what parents think:
East Lansing Public Schools elementary principals sent a joint letter to families Wednesday announcing there would no longer be Halloween…celebrations in the classroom due to potential distractions and an increasing number of uncomfortable families.
Don’t tell former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe—
According to Assistant Superintendent Glenn Mitcham, it’s common for kids to cry on Halloween “because they don’t have the same kind of costumes that other kids have…”
If I may say so, at least concerning any sort of “inequity,” that’s not so easy to believe. The quality of a costume isn’t defined by how much it costs. Some of the best out there are made from household items.
In fact, any day when kids aren’t masquerading would more potently showcase wealth inequality.
After all, you can’t make designer jeans out of (what appears to be) my last CVS receipt:
Need a #HalloweenCostume idea? pic.twitter.com/Plv2R4l7JR
— Rev. Meghan Gurley – Creative Clergy (@Beyond_I_Do) October 16, 2021
(I only bought a Kit Kat.)
Nonetheless, Glenn insisted they’re “striving hard…to be a district that is equitable and inclusive for all families.”
And kids will still be able to do sort-of Halloweenish things — such as engaging in the thrill ride of measuring a pumpkin’s circumference.
Still, officials are resolute: A line must be drawn.
“Each year, along with the fun of Halloween parties and parades, we also have students whose families do not celebrate or feel comfortable with their children participating in Halloween festivities.”
If that’s the guiding principle, they’ve likely got lots to eliminate.
As for the sheer terror of Michael Myers’s favorite time of the year, it seems kids 6 and up have previously petrified each other:
“We have young children who become overwhelmed and sometimes frightened of the costumes and others who come to school with no costume at all.”
More from LSJ:
In recent years, some families have kept their children home from school or picked them up early on Halloween, according to the letter. The costumes, parades and parties can also make it difficult for children to concentrate and for teachers to teach, the principals wrote.
To be clear, educational authorities aren’t only axing All Hallow’s Eve.
Valentine’s Day brings its own set of “unintended consequences,” the principals wrote. Some students bring valentines to exchange at school while others do not, leading to “drama and teasing” in upper elementary classrooms.
Moreover, as laid out by the letter, select families “do not feel comfortable with the idea of boys and girls exchanging valentines or participating in a celebration that focuses on ‘love.'”
Wait’ll they get a load of what’s happening around the country:
San Diego School District Adds 2,000 LGBTQ+ Books for Elementary Students
New York Democrat Pushes for Sex Ed That Would School 11-Year-Olds in Pansexuality and Anal Sex
Knitting Group Offers Plush Prosthetic Penises Transgender Children Can Wear in Their Panties
The night of the Great Pumpkin is also getting 86’d elsewhere.
As covered by RedState’s Jeff Charles, Seattle’s Benjamin Franklin Day Elementary has called off its Pumpkin Parade and costumed festivities in the name of racial sensitivity:
The decision to cancel Halloween seems to be motivated by the notion that poor students – who are mostly black – are unable to afford costumes.
Back to East Lansing, the principals proclaim there’ll be “alternative days throughout the school year that are full of fun and learning, for everyone.”
Michigan’s halting of Halloween is a real trick in lieu of a treat — it’s the only time of year when children are actually supposed to wear masks.
For those of you who’ll be celebrating this October 31st, I offer a costume consideration: Mull over making the season sinister by going as an unvaccinated American — evidently, that’s the scariest thing on Earth.
-ALEX
See more pieces from me:
College Professor on Stolen Land Accuses Columbus of Symbolizing ‘White America’
University Celebrates ‘Plus Size Appreciation Day,’ Cancels Columbus and Pronoun Privilege
On the Wings of Woke: Airline Jettisons ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’
Find all my RedState work here.
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