The time has arrived for one of our nation's most visible displays of democracy in action. No, not Election Day. I mean Halloween.
Each year, as October draws to a close, I get excited. My days as a trick-or-treater are long over; my young children now fill that role. But Halloween in our neighborhood is a big deal. At dusk, the children in their costumes flood our decorated block. The autumn air crackles with their energy and enthusiasm, creating a festive atmosphere. And yet I see something more going on - something to do with us as Americans. Whether I am escorting my kids from house to house or manning the door to hand out candy, the Halloween that I see is not one of rampant consumerism, expensive costumes or trivialized evil. What I see instead, and what I find exciting, is that Halloween is an exercise in democratic principles.
Think about it. For starters, everyone is in costume, which means that all are free to be, for one night, exactly what they wish they were or hope to be. The beautiful and the plain, the rich and the poor, the powerful and the meek all mingle together, their fantasies and aspirations on vivid display, in ordinary neighborhoods all across America. There is no such thing as a bad costume on Halloween; the more homemade, the better. In fact, it is the lack of a costume that receives scorn. "What are you supposed to be?" is the perennial question to the uncostumed. The implication is that everyone is supposed to be something or someone on Halloween. Everyone matters.
