The Grinch Who Stole Halloween

K Marsala
cnuseeme@cox.net

Spooks, pirates, and ghouls are upon us once more. The autumnal winds are swirling around the fall colored leaves as they drift from their tree branches and a nip of something wicked this way comes is floating upon the air. It is time for deciding tricks or treats and to curl up on our sofas to watch, It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.

The autumnal solstice has sent its harvest moon and its beauty captivates us. Spellbinding us as it ascends leisurely into the blackened sky- for the time of tricks or treats has arrived. It is now the season of haunting, as spine tingling eerie stories fill our minds. Delight spreads across the faces of adults everywhere as they view the childhood costumes of frightful fair. Diligence pays off for the strident trick or treater- as their heavy candy bags are lugged home and dumped onto bedroom floors. Painstakingly we would count our favorites, and then find the perfect place to stash our beloved delicacies of sugar- vowing we would make it last until the following Halloween.

Reflecting back, I reminisce about my carefree childhood days. The days when we would make our own costumes from whatever we could find. How we planned for months, asking our moms to save her cast offs of scarves and earrings. Children everywhere requested of their dads not to throw away any empty cardboard boxes and to grant us left over dryer vent hoses. Our grandiose costumes all were judiciously pinned, sewed, or glued together. Proudly we stepped into our homemade costumes; we never cared if they sat a bit askew. Then all of us would head out the door and join in with other neighborhood kids, like a pack of hungry wolves on the prowl, we went hunting for our candy feast. Charging onwards, knocking on our neighbors doors, and shouting with chocolate-toothed grins-“Trick or Treat!” That thrill of receiving piles of delectable sugar laden goodies- all melodiously tumbling into our weighty Halloween bags was total unabashed- euphoria.

Can you recall simpler times when the modern world had not reached its knurled hand of modernism into what was once a simple and unadulterated season of good times?

As I had found myself at the end of July amidst all the back to school products at my local discount store I froze in my tracks in terror as I saw the creature of the black lagoon, AKA… modern marketing… had already sprung up six aisles full of Halloween junk. The southeast corner of my favorite store had become a frightful nightmare of plastic synthetics, and cheaply manufactured pieces of Halloween garbage.

Quickly I grabbed my package of number 2 pencils, three packs of college ruled notebook paper and ran away from the plethora of made in China barrage of supposed Halloween goodies. I felt my heart quicken to a beat of horror as I realized modernism had become the grim reaper that was trying to kill my childhood holiday. Perhaps this was my debut in the next Jason horror flick… all I could do was scream.

The pull of childhood memories though is a powerful one I wanted to participate in the ritual of trick or treat so all too soon- just like in the scream movies- I was drawn back to the same store in early October. I wanted to see what I could find amongst the synthetic world of the 21st century.

Halloween was now four weeks away, but as I looked around, I thought it was going to be Christmas next week. The Halloween fair that was left had been condensed from six aisles to two aisles. Jingle bells rang out next to a talking skull that sang, “Bad to the Bone.” Evidently, the Grinch Who Stole Christmas had stolen the Halloween section too. Oh, well, perhaps amongst the ho, ho, ho I can still find a spook or two.

The two aisles left had been slaughtered by the hands of those who care nothing of respecting property. Costumes, wigs, make-up… all lay strewn, torn, and desecrated on the floor of the stores aisles, a gruesome site to behold. Stooping over, I picked up something that resembled a Batman mask, when all of the sudden I heard a blood-curdling scream the next aisle over. Then a throaty ghoulish howl of, “I want that Care Bear costume now!” A few moments later, a mom came around the corner of the aisle I was on and our eyes met for a split second… her eyes were void of life- as if a zombie glaze covered her once lively blue eyes. The ghoul that had been howling for the Care Bear costume evidently got what he wanted… there was a sinister smile upon his lips. I scooted my cart over quickly and let the demon child and his enslaved zombie mom pass me by.

Moving over to the candy aisle… remember Baby Ruth’s, 3 Musketeers, and Snickers candy bars coming in full sized? That is what I was on the hunt for; alas, they only come in “fun size” and with an enormous sticker price. Flipping through the bags of various candies I find little to my liking, what happened to the good stuff? Thinking I should have checked my account balance to see if I could afford a small mortgage to purchase enough candy for the neighborhood children, I decide to forgo modernism… I am going to go home and make homemade Halloween cookies, popcorn balls, and caramel apples to give out to the kids. Who cares if I am up to 2 or 3 am- I am not letting the death angel called modern times destroy what I hold dear…

It is now 4 am… and the last caramel apple has been wrapped… Happy Halloween you little goblins… all of you are worth it, yes even the demon child disguised as a “Care Bear.”

What Happens in Bali Tonight

S Jameson
sjameson28@yahoo.com

We must admit there have been times when we have all called into question the United States reasons as to why we are fighting this war on terror. Our confusion over this war against terrorism has been formed by the bombardment of the press and their skilled abilities to present an all out deluge of photographs, terror alerts, video tapes, and biased spinning of opinions, thusly creating a misunderstanding by in large the world over. We have been led to question the United States involvement, and to suppose that our interests lie solely in oil. Many have been left with the impression that President Bush and his cronies are all Imperialists gun-slinging cowboys riding off into the sunset of YEEHAW Americana.

The media has spun their multi-faceted version of our war on terror, all without really informing the news consumer, nor sharing factual information. Sound bites can be so misleading and unfortunately, the media has created a news style that lacks substance. Our 24/7/365 news availability has really become nothing more than entertainment likened unto a three ring circus. When the consumer is only fed miniscule tidbits of information they walk away not really understanding our progression, nor our aim as we stand up and take this perilous insanity of hatred seriously.

This war on terror is a battle being fought against people who have infiltrated a multitude of levels globally. We have terrorist operatives in every village, town, city, state, country, and continent. They live in our neighborhoods, attend our schools, shop at our grocery stores, and work for our employers. They have mastered the finest strategic plan of infiltration to annihilate their enemies. The terrorists do not need the latest technological missile, or computerized aircraft to perform their dastardly deeds. Just like the infestation of roaches, terrorists have been living and growing their brand of hatred stealthily whilst co-existing amongst our population. These pestilent stone age throwbacks have bred their hatred within the walls of our governments, businesses, educational institutions, religious organizations, homes, and our society…terrorists have been propagating their murderous abhorrence against what they consider to be unworthy of existence, all by stealthily blending into our societies.

According to various organizations who to try keep tabs on the number of active and inactive terrorist groups the numbers are wide and the existence of these groups varies moment by moment. The Center for Defense Information in 2000 had counted over fifty as active by definition by the U.S. State dept. (http://www.cdi.org/terrorism/terrorist-groups.cfm). In 2002 under the Patriot Act, nine more groups were added to that list. According to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, there are well over 200 listed terrorist type groups and organizations. Ranging from religious, nationalistic, left wing, right wing, racists, anti communist, and to those who fall under the “other” category (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terrorist_groups ). The United States Committee for a Free Lebanon lists terrorist and insurgencies worldwide to be well over 400 and a large section of that list has terrorist organizations imbedded in Iraq. (http://freelebanon.org/articles/a167.htm). These lists are in constant change as groups dissolve, break off, and regroup. Without doubt, terrorism has taken on multiple forms and fronts. Terrorism has been alive and well for many decades.

The rise of the Islamic militant doctrine is spreading like wildfire across the face of Asia, Africa, and Europe. With religion, overall being dead in Europe (1) and economies (2) failing in parts of Europe, Asia (excluding China, Japan and India), and Africa (3)- has radical Islam found a home amongst our youth? Are we creating a void with no moral direction or hope for economic security? Hitler at one time saw a religious and economic void- his doctrine of hatred stepped in, gave the youth direction, promises of food, clothing, and shelter, and obliterated the rest by terroristic force.

In March of 2005 in the Netherlands a Dutch lawmaker, Geert Wilders shared a video clip with a reporter. Wilders grimaced at the sound of gunfire and the statement made in Arabic "He is an enemy of Islam and he should be beheaded," the narrator of one video clip posted on the Internet says in Arabic, against the crackle of gunfire. Behead him, "and you will earn a place in paradise” (http://www.emergency.com/2005/netherland_islami.htm). After the murder of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh, Wilders found his name included on a “death list” of an Islamic extremist cell in the Netherlands. It would appear some in Europe are starting to understand the threat.

At times American’s seem to think that this war on terrorism has only affected us. Our hearts go out to those who have lost loved ones- we grieve with you. As well, to those of you whose families and sweethearts will not be home for the holidays, we send you our prayers and our gratitude for what you are sacrificing. However, for those who denounce our reasons for taking the war to where the terrorists train and plan, it is time for you to change your thinking and realize it is affecting all of us-globally. We must come out of our own self-serving process and educate ourselves, not only for our own survival as a country, but also for humankind’s survival.

I have a friend who travels between the United States and Indonesia quite often. She and her husband travel back and forth a couple of times a year for business/pleasure; they own and operate an import business here in the United States. Their establishment is full of art, and furniture made by local artisans residing in Jakarta, Bali, and Papua New Guinea. They have traveled back and forth for more than six years and have become close to their sellers and their families. They have fallen love with Indonesia and now refer to her as their second home, but my friend confides in me that she will no longer travel alone due to the thugs who terrorize.

Prior to the last bombing that took place in two popular eating establishments in Bali (Oct 2005), I had asked her how things were looking for their next buying trip and visit to Bali. She told me things have been slowly deteriorating since the 2002 bombing in Bali and when the second bombing at the Marriot Hotel in Jakarta happened in 2003, it about obliterated the hopes and dreams of the friendly people of both Bali and Jakarta.
She said the artisans they had been buying from have had to quit making their wondrous works of art to sell and go to the fields to plant, and glean rice so that they can make a meager meal for themselves. Terrorism has killed the tourist industry, which was the mainstay for the peoples of Bali and Jakarta.
(http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=34266&d=28&m=10&y=2003; (http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/051002/indonesia_bali_blasts.html?.v=1).

This is our enemies’ drive, to take away everyone’s freedom and to force all into a frightened state of barbaric tyrannical rule.

Like it or not we live in a global age and global terrorism is here- there is no escaping it (http://www.state.gov/m/ds/rls/rm/19198.htm), we are all interconnected in some form. What affects the economic and social structure in Indonesia, Sudan, Israel, Australia, Spain, or Venezuela tonight- will certainly have an impact on the United States and the world tomorrow.

Our choices of employment, apartments to rent, modes of transportation to take, and fast food joints to feast from- needs to take on a different aspect of appreciation. The radicals who scream, “Die infidel” have already landed on our shores, it is now up to us to educate ourselves and understand our enemy cannot be likened to anything we have ever known. This war on terror will either be our victory that we monitor and control or it will be our blood bath of hell here on earth. We can choose which one we want…we still hold our destiny in our hands. Let us consider, and act before our enemy slices through with their blood soaked machetes and ends our love of freedom to worship, work, speak, write, dream, and live.



References:

(1) Religion and Ethics- http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week446/cover.html; Religion and Europe- http://exorthodoxforchrist.com/religion_and_europe.htm

(2) Europe’s Economy- http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/10/20/1034561391135.html;
IMF Pessimistic About Europe’s Economy- http://www.investing-news.com/artman/publish/article_1331.shtml


(3) Africa in Chaos- http://www.independent.org/publications/tir/article.asp?issueID=27&articleID=341

IRIN Africa: Cost of Living Soars for Urban Families- http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=49386&SelectRegion=Southern_Africa