NEWS ANALYSIS
By Patrick Giroux
On November 2nd, the MetroWest Daily News reported toilet tank clear, disguised as candy, was given to trick-or-treaters on Halloween. The two children which discovered the candy, ages 6 and 14, did not eat these blue disks which were wrapped in white paper. The candy was given out in downtown Hopkinton, MA, and although police can not confirm who passed out the poisonous tablets, they encourage parents to look over their children’s candy to ensure what they eat is safe and “real” candy.
This story shatters my heart and I truly hope authorities locate the individual(s) responsible for it. Halloween is one holiday that is truly for the kids. They get all excited to dress up as their favorite movie or TV show character, get out of the house for a few hours, and walk their neighborhoods interacting with neighbors and smiling ear to ear with excitement getting free candy.
But of course, in today’s world filled with revenge, hatred, and selfishness, we have individuals out their seeking to harm innocent lives and possibly destroying families or communities due to their uncalled-for deeds. The person(s) responsible for this action clearly does not see this action as cruel and ruthless, and appears to seek pleasure from the pain from others.
What would have happened if the parents never looked at their kids’ bag of candy? Would the young children have consumed it? Probably. The cleaning tablets look like blue hard candy– what child does not like a piece of hard candy? This action clearly was not thought out, and it is with hope that the launched investigation as to whomever did this will be caught and be tried in the criminal justice system, and hopefully locked up for a long time to pay for the crime that would have had detrimental effects on those children who consumed the candy.
It is so hard to comprehend the actions of the individual(s) and to look for a possible motive into this situation. Out of all things, and all people, they targeted children. What can a young child possibly do that causes one to slip poison in their bag of Halloween candy? To sympathize with these actions is simply impossible, and it is with true hope the person(s) responsible for these actions is incarcerated for a long, long time to keep them away from our most vulnerable members of society.
THE AC301 