State of Fear - Day Seven: Eyeing the Storm
"Evolution, revolution, gun control, sound of soul,
Shooting rockets to the moon, kids growing up too soon,
Politicians say, 'More taxes, will solve everything!'
And the band played on."
- Lyrics from the Temptations' "Ball of Confusion"
This song is my favorite protest song. In my opinion, it's an equal opportunity rant. You may not agree with every line, but there's something for everyone in there. Also, it's the only song I know that repeatedly uses the phrase, "great googamooga," and I inherently find that cool.
You don’t have to dig very deep to get at the emotions of this song. There are a lot of passions expressed in this song: anger, sadness, frustration, and fear. And once you get riled up, you don’t always act at your best.
I earlier posted examples of my own ineptitude when it came to fear. I know many of you could easily provide other examples. I will tip my hat to a few more to placate people who might otherwise flood the comments box additional misadventures. There’s the time I got scared of potential robbers when I was home alone and temporarily trapped myself in the backyard when I left the house and got stranded at the bottom of a icy hill (I should have paid more attention to Macaulay Culkin). There’s the time I ran away from home (by hiding in the tall grass across the street) when I got my sister’s boomerang caught in the rain gutter and thought my parents would be upset when they found out (I later used a long stick to knock it out and returned home before my disappearance was noted). I skipped the whole category of “Caleb-scared-frozen-because-he-thinks-a-snake-might-be-around” stories. I haven’t made a new entry in that file for years, I am proud to say, though my sojourns with the Missouri Department of Conservation did lead to more than one temporary freak out moments due to airborne amphibians.
Note: You can be one of the calmest, coolest people around, but if you have a frog flying toward your face, it’s difficult to remain composed. No matter how many times it occurs, if you’re peering into a tight spot and something green starts hurtling at you, odds are you’ll make a fool of yourself.
I spotlight these mistakes (and lower the estimation many had of me) because I want to show that I can handle criticism. This is important because I’m about to take aim at some personal pet peeves that may step on people’s toes. Check your footwear, make sure it is something sturdy (nothing open-toed or made of wicker) and follow me into the lobby.
Here are two seasonal statements that invariably make me twitch upon hearing them:
“Harry Potter is the devil!”
“We’ll be having a ‘Fall Festival’ on Halloween night.”
Neguah! Sorry… Mini-aneurysm. One moment. Sigh... Thanks.
Please hear me through. I think these comments display an unbalanced reaction to fear as well as missed opportunities to do some constructive good. Let me be the first to say comments of this ilk are made with the best intentions, but the rationale and the execution leave something to be desired in my book.
Let me tackle these subjects in the order in which they made blood leak out my ears:
Harry Potter is a literary character in a highly successful series based in a world of magic that is very popular readers of all ages, though the biggest draw is among children (the reason the New York Times created a top 10 bestseller list for children’s books was to prevent J.K. Rowling’s entries from taking up too many spaces on the “adult” list).
Some parents are afraid the “boy wizard” glamorizes dabbling in the occult and could blindly lead children astray. They pop up in droves every time another Potter book or movie comes out. Between the most recent bestseller and the pending November movie release, it’s been a big year for Potter-panners and we haven’t seen the end of them yet.
It’s easy to find their comments reported for they make strong, striking copy and because some journalists have no problem letting people hang themselves when given rope and a place to jump.
The best argument I’ve heard for banning books is the fear that they may confuse kids and that mystification can lead to mistakes down the road. I understand and believe this concept is solid. I simply believe it is misapplied when it prompts people to avoid the books.
I am reminded of the lesson of “The Man who Corrupted Hadleyburg,” by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemons, I know). In it, the namesake hamlet has set up a utopian system to protect the spirituality of the town. All the dangers of the world have been removed from the town; no sin has been left to tempt the townsfolk. The framework is meant to grow the strongest souls, for by their logic, their faith will be unmarred by the dents, scars, and soot of regularly combating temptation.
All it takes is the entry of a single charlatan and his introduction of pride and greed, to show how weak people were. The final conclusion is that untested faith is the flimsiest, for it has not been tried by fire and will be found wanting when true trials arrive.
I would worry that Harry Potter could accidentally spark an interest in unhealthy topics, but I think such concerns should spur one to expand a child’s education rather than limit it. This doesn’t mean you throw a babe to the wolves to teach them about “natural selection,” however. One should slowly build a foundation of understanding. Pile additional layers on as the child comprehends more and can handle more serious bricks.
Too often, I believe, these people don’t give kids enough credit. We underestimate their intelligences and talk down to them too often. I believe you can use the Harry Potter books to correct that common mistake.
My mother is a school librarian and she has talked about how the world of Hogwarts has gotten many kids to read who otherwise would not have picked up such a hefty book. In the book, “The Culture of Fear,” Barry Glassner uses the rich literary landscape as a springboard to discuss advancements in science. To those who quibble and warn that Harry Potter is a “gateway,” I say you are right, but you also have the ability to shape what topics a child will be led to.
A frank discussion of Harry Potter can help a parent talk about religion, morals, heroics, and other topics not as easily broached with children. Such opportunities should be embraced and not avoided. And besides, if you ban a book without discussion, it only makes people want to play it even more (a truth that was spotlighted even in the Potter series).
Now let’s look at “Fall Festivals,” which coincidentally often fall on October 31. They typically involve costumes, bags and bags of candy, spooky decorations like pumpkins and bats, and games like bobbing for apples or toilet paper relay races. Just don’t call it Halloween, because it’s a “Fall Festival.”
Just because it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and goes out looking for treats like a duck, it doesn’t mean…
Fall Festival celebrations are another opportunity missed by those who would seek to shield children from the impact of Halloween. I find myself returning to the Potter debate and pulling out the most rationale trump card: Aren’t you worried the kids might get confused?
If you're going to do the same thing as the world but call it by a different name, you’re potentially setting people up for a conundrum that may haunt them some day. In retrospect, the rationale for such nights might come across as superstition, and that may undercut one’s faith. What was done out of concern for safety – providing a controlled environment where kids can guzzle sugar and run freely – may not be as clearly seen down the road.
I have my current perspective due to the comments of my father. I’ve heard him make many of the remarks I’ve already repeated voicing his disappointment at the whole enterprise. One had the opportunity to do something different, to inject talk of Jesus and God into the activities, and the end result was indistinguishable from a secular party (though Lazarus might be wrapped in toilet paper rather than a mummy).
I’ve never looked at the parties the same way again. I never mistook them for a Halloween party or for a foolish alternative put on by superstitious people. They were simply well-intentioned functions that never seemed to live up to their potential.
I’m not saying one is condemned to doubt by attending a Fall Festival, though I would say a potential stumbling block has been added rather than removed. Many people still find God’s path despite all obstacles. I simply fret over the fact that in overreacting to fear, and attempting to dodge the issue, we introduce a handicap that could have been avoided.
I’ll say it again: kids are smart. I am constantly (and delightfully) surprised by what children know. They can handle a lot. Of course, they still have a lot to learn, so they need our help and guidance as well.
When I was young and couldn’t swim, my parents didn’t avoid pools nor did they toss me in the deep end. They signed me up for swimming lessons.
Context is key. In addition to TV, radio, internet, video games, movies, school, books, friends, and other stimuli, make sure kids get influenced by their families, too.
So I wish you all a happy forthcoming Halloween! And if you’re participating in a “Fall Festival” of sorts, I wish you well with that too. Whatever you do, don’t let fear prompt you to lose the opportunities you have in your path.
