Grand Prairie Daily News from Grand Prairie, Texas • Page 8

Page 8 GRAND PRAIRIE DAILY NEWS Wednesday, October 31, 1973 EDITORIAL From readers Sadistic pranks exaggerated Tales of Halloween horror-of children getting heroin-laced candy, apples spiked with razor blades-make the rounds yearly just before the Oct. 31 children's fun fest. And the morning after Halloween, it is very likely to read or hear about another sadistic trick played on children by some unnamed adult. However, police from across the nation report that few of the cases of reported sadism are'ever conclusive. In 1970 a young boy was found dead after apparently eating candy "salted" with heroin.

Fbur days later, it was learned the boy found a heroin capsule in his uncle's home and the uncle put the heroin in his candy to cover up. Other stories of pins, razor blades and glass in candy have turned out to be pranks pulled by youngsters themselves in an effort to get attention. One policeman in Michigan, when asked about the horrible pranks, said, "Our society isn't that sick yet." Police in Los Angeles, Detroit and Philadlephia have studied the incidents of Halloween trickery and have found almost 63 per cent of the cases turn out, under scrutiny, to be either hoaxes or occurrences of minor importance and the eventual outcome of the incidents is rarely publicized. Research has also indicated there have been no known serious injuries to have occurred from booby-trapped candies and fruits and only one individual, a New York woman, has ever admitted to booby- trapping Halloween She was placed in a mental institution and with her exception, there has never been an arrest ot an actual booby-trapper. In Philadelphia, investigators learned men accused of booby-trapping candy were accused by neighborhood children out of spite.

Some police think youngsters put the glass and other foreign substances, in their Halloween candy for attention. A Los Angeles mother, whose son placed a razor blade in. apples, said, "He'd apparently heard about the razor blade business at school and just did it as a joke." However, police believe the false reports do some good because it doesn't hurt for parents to check candy and fruit their children bring home and it has resulted in more and more parents accompanying their children on Halloween rounds. And in a time of our nation when we are more mobile than in previous years, Halloween has suddenly become a time when new neighbors can meet each other. The promise of better jobs, schools and homes pushes families from town to city, state to state.

Halloween offers an opportunity to bring happiness and unity into a community. Safety rules have always urged parents to accompany their youngsters on their treating visits but as children grow up parents have been less inclined to go out with them. Parents who go with their children benefit themselves as well. It can be a move, back to the good neighbor policy of earlier times. This Halloween, why not take part with your children? It will ease your mind toward their Halloween activities and may give you an opportunity to meet new friends.

r- i ifimK: 'iffiy rf Olllrlbultd by l.A. Tim. Syni National scenic spots despoiled by ruffians When the people of this na tion can no longer use a national park without fear of being robbed, raped or murdered, it is time we stopped coddling criminals and disorderly members of society, and began thinking of the rights and protection of law-abiding citizens. The Wall Street Journal reports that in California's Yosemite National Park the crime rate has jumped 253 percent during the last decade. In 1972 alone, this particular park was the scene of three murders, three rapes, seven robberies, 18 assaults, 142 burglaries and 624 thefts.

Disorderly conduct became such a problem that a special section was set aside solely for the use of rowdy young people so that they would not bother other visitors. That was a major error, for the young people took over this section and drove out the park rangers. There is much to support the view that it is time to adopt a hard line on crime, rqgard- less of where it is committed. Beefing up police forces and law enforcement classes will help curb the actions of those who do not respect the rights or property of others. But greater assurance of apprehension will not deter the wrongdoer unless he is also reasonably certain that a fair hearing, court action and sane penalty will follow his unlawful acts.

Special areas should not be. set. aside for the disorderly in our national parks any more than an habitual criminal should be allowed to roam the streets. These people are a threat to the lives, rights and property of all those around them. Progress in the effort to curb criminal action has been made.

More must be achieved if (he time is to come again when it will be possible to walk the streets of our great cities without fear of being assaulted, and if the places of beauty in our national parks to be sanctuaries of nature's Iran- quility for all to enjoy. Insult art alive By DR. MAX RAFFERTY "In a recent column, you decried the demise of he noble art of Insult, and it occurs to me that the following, fr6m the Personals column In a Washington newspaper, might assure you that this is not entirely a lost art: boat and motor have disappeared from Martha Lake since June 10.1 send my wishes that the boat breaks in half in mid-lake, and that your mother is unsuccessful in attracting help for you as she runs barking along the shore. 1 "Now doesn't that make you feel better?" Mrs. W.E.W., Bremerton, Wash.

A. Infinitely. As long as Washingtonians retain their historic felstiness, the tradition of classic contumely shall not perish from the earth. "I am planning a school paper on 'The public school system as a training center for the welfare rolls of the By this I mean the failure to provide vocational training, and the attempt to give all students an academic education regardless of need or ability. "May I have your comment?" W.M.S., Orlando, Fla.

A I really don't know how things are in Orlando, but I can assure you from personal experience that most high schools today provide both vocational and academic training, depending upon which major the student elects. Between 1947 and 1963, I was in charge of high schools in four different California school districts, and all of them had strong business and vocational departments. Obviously, even vocational majors are going to have to take some "academic" courses like English, history, science and math. Everybody, regardless of personal inclination, has to learn how to write and speak correct English, know that a straight line the "hortest distance between two points (except In outer space) and be able to work problems In compound Interest in order to keep his bank account straight. "I am upset by general mispronunciation of words In the initlal-vowel-followed-by-double-consonant category: uh-ford, uh-peal, e-ficient, o-cur.

I also resent adoption 'burockracy. 1 Even a purloined 'c' is powerless to make 'reau 1 'rock. Mrs. C.M.T., Harmony, Minn. A Okay, readers.

In the future, watch your initial-vowel- followed-by-double-consonants. But Noah Webster doesn't go along with you about "bureaucracy," Mrs. T. In his Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, he puts that hard "rock" right where you said it shouldn't be. "I've just finished reading a 'way out in left-field' arti- cje entitled 'Future Shock in by Alvin Toffler.

Among other revolutionary ideas, he seems to think that studies of the past are decidedly secondary in importance; traditional goals and curricula are obsolete; a need for youth to experience communal living exists; as does the need for inexperienced (and too often unstable) youth to have a greater part to play in leadership roles. "Doesn't this need an ans'wer from scmeone like you?" D.D.M.,Watertown,S.D. A I don't know why. Every wet-behind-the-ears college sophomore has believed devoutly in all those "ideas," at least since the days of Plato and Aristotle and probably long before. Each generation hatches some nut who believes that nothing of any importance occurred prior to his own birth.

And "communal goes back to the ancient Essenes, who preceded Christ. "Future Nonsense. (Dr. Rafferty welcomes questions for use in this column once each week, but regrets he cannot answer all mail personal- Please send your questions to him in care of this paper.) (Copyright 1973, Los Angeles Times) DO YOU HAVE AN OLD FAMILY, RECIPE? WHY NOT SHARE IT WITH OTHERS. On Wednesday, November 28th the Grand Prairie Daily News will publish its annual Holiday Cookbook a collection of kitchen tested recipes for the festive season.

And yours can be included Just send your original recipes to us. Deadline for receiving recipes will be Friday, November 16th. We will have prizes for the best recipes in each of the four divisions: DISH 'CASSEROLE 'DESSERTS SAL ADS Prizes will be given for 1st Place in each division. All you have to do is submit your favorite recipes in each division. We will have a panjl of judges, who are Home Economists that will select the winners.

Decision of the jdges will be final. The winners will be announced Wednesday, Dec. 5th. PLEASE SEND YOUR OLD FAMILY RECIPES TO US IN OARE OF MRS. MARY GALEN COSTON, WOMAN'S EDITOR, P.

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