Universities Overreact to Halloween, Offer Counseling
I’m not really sure about this. I hate to be called insensitive, but maybe I am in this case. I think that our world has become way too sensitive. I mean, who is it that's deciding what is and isn't appropriate in life? Researchers? Therapists? The PC Police? Whoever it is, I'm guessing it's not average, everyday people like you and me.
Don't get me wrong- I understand that some people have phobias and that those phobias are very real and very serious. For instance- people with a phobia of clowns must be pretty miserable these days, with clowns constantly in the news. And I understand that sometimes a person needs therapy when they've been terrified by seeing or experiencing their phobia, especially if that phobia (like clowns) comes to life on a night like Halloween. But this just seems a bit extreme.
According to the Daily Mail, the University of Florida recently sent out a memo to let students know that they’ll be offering round the clock counseling to anyone who might find that they've been traumatized by a Halloween costume.
The Daily mail claims the school sent the memo and is offering to counsel because they want students to make responsible costume choices and they don’t want students dressing in anything that acts as a negative stereotype to different races, genders, cultures, or religions.
Well, that pretty much rules out just about every costume, doesn’t it?
Planning to dress as a leprechaun? I'm Irish. That offends me. Planning to dress as a nun? I love Jesus. That offends me. Planning to dress as a slice of pizza? I suffer from adult acne and that offends me. How ridiculous would it be if I were to waste my time with allowing costumes like those to set me into a frenzy? I have bigger concerns on my plate. Real life concerns like providing for my family, paying my bills, even cancer research is a bigger concern to me than what someone wears as their Halloween costume. I would find it extremely distasteful if someone were to dress as someone from the Klan, or as a member of the Nazi party, but that's their cross to bear, not mine. They have to live with that decision. I don't.
In all fairness, we can't just single out the University of Florida because they're not the only school taking on Halloween. Other colleges including Wesleyan University, who has provided students with a checklist to help determine if their costume is appropriate, have jumped on the bandwagon.
Hampshire College in New Hampshire actually posted a Halloween costume checklist to their website. Take a peek. (You may have to click on the image to see it in full.)
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