Friday, September 27, 2013

Northampton's Clown

Have you heard about the clown stalking the streets of Northampton, England? He’s causing quite a stir among the populace there by dressing up as a clown and standing on street corners. Sounds harmless to me, but his actions have generated a bit of paranoia which seems to be centered around a character named “Pennywise” from a Stephen King novel involving a clown. Having never read the book I can’t really comment much on that aspect of the situation.

I guess my biggest concern is for the safety of the clown. The people there are ready to break out the pitchforks and torches in a scene reminiscent of “Frankenstein”, in order to be rid of the clown. He even has his own Facebook page, which I have visited. Here is the link;


The comments range from amusement and bemusement, to outright paranoia. I posted my take on it all, opining that if the Stephen King movies make you that uncomfortable, perhaps you should seek entertainment elsewhere.

It’s also interesting to note that no one seems to mind protestors wearing bandanas to obscure their identities while they destroy private property; nor is there an outcry over the increasing use of ski masks by law enforcement while depriving people of their rights when they bust up demonstrations, along with a head or two in the bargain.

I’m afraid we have all gotten a bit too sensitive. With all of the random violence in the world I suppose a bit of caution is understandable. But at the same time, I have to wonder about those who would be frightened by the mere presence of a clown standing on the corner. And then, of course, I feel sorry for them; locked in a world of fear.

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