Salvete.
I hung out with my dad for Halloween, and we were both equally shocked at the utter lack of children in the streets. There was practically nobody. After all of the hype about Halloween and all, I was shocked to find the utter lack of trick-or-treaters. Dad told me of the time when he was a kid and the streets were sprawling on Halloween, and we talked about the change from the past to the present.
What's the difference? Fear. Fear that their kids might get shot or kidnapped or God knows what else in the streets. Some fears are valid, but most fears (especially the ones in my area or places not ridden with crime) are invalid and even unnecessary. Parents now accompany their children to protect them from everything.
But fear can't stop everything. Is fear the only factor? No. There is also a general lack of friendliness. When was the last time anyone said "Hello" as they passed by a stranger? Chances are one in a thousand that they're anyone with ill intentions, and it surely wouldn't hurt. When was the last time you did a random act of kindness for anyone? It's not sacrificing too much. We no longer go out of our way to meet strangers, to do nice things, to live in a world beyond the cell phone screen and our personal bubble. That is precisely why the percentage of American church-going people is at an all time low. That is precisely why there are no people in the streets on Halloween. We've sacrificed our acquaintanceship to fear, comfortability, and society. How dare we.
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