The Trappings Of Hate

To the Editor:

As a pagan, I look forward to Samhain, Halloween to the monotheists, with mixed emotions. I have often considered a letter to express my feelings about the desecration of this important holiday but felt it would fall on deaf ears. This year, something occurred that I felt I could not ignore for it has implications far greater than one irritated pagan.

On Friday evening, as nine o’clock approached, there was a knock at the door. As expected, it was a group of older boys, the last contingent of the night. As I greeted them, I saw the usual costumes of their age group — blue jeans with a scream mask or a multicolored clown wig, the barest attempt at a costume that allowed them to go begging candy. No big deal.

As they took turns choosing candy from my bowl, a young man moved forward from the back of the group who caused my jaw to drop. He was clad in the robes of the Ku Klux Klan. I said, with all the sarcasm I possessed, “That’s quite the costume!”

Many thoughts raced through my head — get your hands off my candy, get off my porch, get out of Newtown! As they turned to leave, I managed to say, “I suggest you rethink that costume for next year.”

I was dumbfounded. I went on line to see what a KKK robe actually looked like, having only seen them briefly in news clips. This young man’s costume was not hastily thrown together. The hood was hemmed, sewn to a crisp point. The robe had the thick-armed red cross on the chest.

Where did he get this horrific symbol of hate? How could his parents let him out like that? Did he think he was being funny? Was he trying to shock people? I was hoping he would tell me it was a sociology project.

I know our schools present lessons and have clubs that teach acceptance of all people. If this young man is the vanguard of the KKK trying to get a toehold in Newtown, I hope others will join me in letting them know that we value acceptance and celebrate the diversity of all people and that hatred and intolerance will find no home here.

Laurie Borst

Beechwood Drive, Newtown                                     November 3, 2008