"Two Big Events Approaching"
By Capt. Fred Davis
Published: Saturday, October 30, 2010



They’re coming, they’re coming — witches and goblins and ghost and — politicians Oh My!

We all need to get ready for the busy Halloween weekend coming up (as soon as that howling wind stops blowing). Trick or treaters will be at your door begging for candy or any other favors they can acquire. According to youngsters I’ve had the good fortune to interview, Halloween is one of their favorite holidays. They spend a lot of time preparing; picking out or making a costume, carving a pumpkin and deciding just what route to trick or treat on. Older kids like to travel in small groups while the tykes are accompanied by parents or trusted guardians.

Halloween has really changed. In the past, homeowners and business owners expected property damage especially on Devil’s Night (the night before Halloween). Over the years, young adults that were once a problem have grown up and taught their offspring to respect other’s property. This has resulted in more fun for everyone on Halloween. Many of those same young adults like to dress up with their young children as they go door to door.

Many of us visited by those trick or treating enjoy the activities just as much as the kids who arrive. I know my wife and I do! I have to wonder about some of those mom’s though. When Pat and I were loading a basket with candy at the store this week, a mother swung by and yelled, “Get a lot, we’ll be over!” She is a regular and her daughter, Gentry (remember my photo of Orphan Annie), is a favorite of ours. We have a lot of favorites, all of the little ones and some of the bigger ones too.

Another change in the Halloween festivities is that most parents have stopped letting the kids wear masks. They paint their faces instead so they are able to see well. We all know how excited they get and need to be aware they can dash into the street without looking, even without the mask, so we must be alert for them and drive very cautiously.

Halloween is just two days before the mid-term election, and we can’t wait for it to be over, (do remember to vote). I do believe I could wallpaper my office with all the expensive, color, large brochures that have arrived in my mailbox. Never in the past have as many high-priced ads in all media forms been circulated.

A large number of the ads are paid for by “Political parties with regulated funds. Not authorized by any candidates committee.” If these funds are “regulated” as stated, what are those regulations? If the intent is to draw support for a particular party or candidate, doesn’t anyone realize we the voters have had enough of the libelous pamphlets. Many of us may have been swayed if one of the parties claimed they had donated to the homeless (instead of sending campaign pamphlets). They could have sent this on a simple postcard to let us know.

As I see it, more funds have been spent to mail these brochures this year than in all the past elections combined. I know I received dozens, sometimes two or three a day. I admit some are clever and even funny, like the picture of a cow with a thermometer in its mouth, the bottle of medicine one and the one with an adding machine tape that said, “We can’t afford big spending.” They all however cause me to wonder, “Why is so much being spent — and who is financing it?” All but a few of the mailings I received lacked any statement of a plan to help Michigan move forward. They simply tore down their opponent saying what they had done wrong.

One of the things being attacked is the measure to provide benefits that was put into place by an opponent. I have not yet read that those complaining about the benefits have refused to accept them, or if elected would refuse the benefits that come with the job.

There is a very old saying that should be used during political campaigns, “If you can’t say something nice about someone, it’s better to say nothing at all.” A lot of money could be saved on ads and maybe those that have all that extra money to spend could donate it to the food pantry’s or homeless shelters. It should be remembered many of the people who need those services are also registered voters.

Now it’s my turn to be humorous. Soon we will be able to watch TV without having to watch someone standing by his John Deere in the same shirt he wore in every ad. Don’t get too comfortable with your TV viewing though. I just heard a statement saying politicians will begin campaigning for the next presidential election the first of the year — OH NO.

 

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