Haunted House Parade

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To the Editor:

I’d like to begin by quoting your “Editorial Ink Drops” on the front of The Bee on September 1, 2000. “If a town could have a stream of consciousness, Newtown’s would look a lot like the Labor Day Parade.” How profound, with the exception of one thing... the haunted house.

My husband and I decided to risk the forecasted bad weather and took our four small children, ages six, four, two, and one, to the parade. It was the first time that any of us would be experiencing the famous Newtown Labor Day Parade. We were all on fire with excitement. The kids were excited to be going to a parade and possibly seeing some of their friends marching. I was excited to be experiencing a bit of deja vu from my childhood and yet more excited to be seeing it through the eyes of my children.

We could not have asked for a more perfect experience. The sun, unexpectedly, came out full strength. We were seated on a blanket on a nice soft patch of grass under a beautiful shade tree. In the distance the music began and floated on the breeze in its own parade preview. The parade finally reached us and the kids laughed and squealed as they spied their friends and collected the candy thrown by the marchers. They danced to the music played by the various bands. What a wonderful time.

Then came something that shocked and angered me. I saw the haunted house float. I thought this particular display was a bit out of place considering the number of small children attending the event, but I’m a fairly open-minded person and I decided to just deal with it. I felt the costumes were a bit scarier than was appropriate. Then I became thoroughly disgusted when the voice came over the loud speaker on the float. I could not believe I was actually hearing a conscientious participant of this famous parade state, “We’re going to get you and there’s nothing your parents can do to protect you!”

In a day like today, we have so many new fears for the safety of our children and raising them to be confident, secure individuals is no easy task. We have to constantly reassure them that they are safe while at the same time teaching them about the possible dangers that lie outside their homes. This is no small feat and becomes increasingly difficult as we hear more and more about the atrocities that happen to children and the increasing frequency in which they occur. Although I would like to believe that the individual that made this remark was doing so merely in the name of fun I found the remark to be completely irresponsible and unacceptable. Thankfully, I can’t say that this one remark ruined the parade for us because quite frankly it was the best parade I’ve been to since my childhood. Unfortunately, I can say that I will never forget this particular parade because of that remark.

Please think before you speak in the presence of a child.

Sincerely,

Allison Koziol

6 Crown View Drive, Sandy Hook  September 5, 2000