#SaveHalloween and Santa

As soon as the coronavirus shutdowns began in March I wondered when it would happen.

When would people across the country say “enough” and reclaim their freedoms? What would it take to get them to rebel?

It didn’t happen with the closure of churches. Or schools. Or even the bars.

Closing the beaches was accepted. Arresting surfers in California was too. So were severe crowd limitations that forced thousands of weddings to be postponed and funerals to be cancelled.

Mask mandates didn’t stir a widespread rebellion. Neither did shutdown orders that forced hair stylists and barbers out of work and had respectable people looking like they belonged to Antifa.

Finally, though, it’s happened. The government went too far.

Earlier this week, Los Angeles County health officials announced that - 52 days out - they were cancelling Halloween.

That’s right. Without waiting to see where the virus was headed, lemon-sucking adults decided to ban trick-or-treating, Halloween parties and haunted houses on October 31.

I hesitate to point this out, but Halloween is on a Saturday this year. That comes along exactly once in a trick-or-treater’s lifetime. How dare the government take that away?

And what did LA health officials suggest should take the place of going door to door in costume?

“Online parties.” Yeah, try selling that to your 7-year-old pirate.

“Car parades.” Always a favorite with the trick-or-treating set.

“Drive-through events.” Ugh, just ugh.

No sooner had the edict gone out than an uprising began. #SaveHalloween began trending on social media as people across the nation - who realize that all bad ideas begin in California and spread eastward - started to protest.

They wondered how long it would take for meddling government apparatchiks in other places to announce their Halloween bans.

Trick-or-treating is a low-risk activity, members of the #SaveHalloween brigade insisted. After all, the children are masked up and travel in small groups. They’re also outside.

Where’s the danger?

A number of Los Angelians boldly announced their intention to defy the order. That number must have been monstrous because, one day later, LA health honchos relented. Sort of. They still officially disapprove of trick-or-treating, but it will be permitted.

Let’s hope that’s the end of such lunacy. Kids have suffered enough during the shutdowns. Most have lost school, friends, sports and vacations. They’re depressed and lonely.

In a year when nothing is normal, let them have Halloween. Shoot, let US have Halloween. Right now, all of America needs a Snickers bar.

Then, last night, as I walked past some family photos, a framed picture of a certain four-year-old dressed in red and perched on Santa’s lap caught my eye.

I had a sinking feeling.

What are the chances THAT’S happening this year? #SaveSanta?