Chicago alderman wants to limit trick-or-treating due to creepy clowns
Despite the city’s impending teachers strike, unaffordable pension debt and declining population, a Chicago alderman warns against late night trick-or-treating for fear of clowns.
Chicago Alderman Patrick D. Thompson, 11th Ward, is warning his constituents to cease trick-or-treating by 8 p.m. on Halloween for fear of clowns.
“That makes sure everyone’s safe,” Thompson stated, according to DNAinfo. “Especially now. I mean . . . this craziness with the clowns.”
Thompson is not alone in his coulrophobia.
The warning comes as the bizarre clown-sighting phenomenon continues to spread across the country and world. Authorities have been on edge after reports surfaced of clowns attempting to lure children into wooded areas. A school in Ohio even went into lockdown after a reported clown sighting near campus.
Scary clowns have been spotted in South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New York and most recently, Chicago.
A Chicago Heights school district added extra security to all District 170 schools after receiving threats on Facebook from a “clown gang,” according to WGN.
With the fear of clowns going viral, the worst thing for government officials to do is to legitimize this panic and waste resources protecting people from obvious trolls. What may have started as a cheap marketing ploy for a film featuring a Green Bay, Wisc.-area clown named Gags has inspired an overreaction by state and city officials across the country. Rather than encouraging costumed pranksters by fearmongering, Thompson and other elected officials should focus on the important issues facing Chicago – issues such as pension crises, a looming teachers strike and a declining population – and stop clowning around.