Noisy Neighbors

Last night was Halloween. A time of pumpkins and ghosts. It's also a time when my windows shake with the excessive bass of my neighbor's music system. When your windows are shaking from a building almost 1/4 mile away, you have to wonder about the eardrums and the respect for others that the originators of such music enjoy. This particular music wasn't so bad. It came from the local church and only lasted a couple of hours and they don't do it often. You have to wonder about Christian Rock turned up to that volume, but this is also the church that moves street signs to suit themselves, the church whose deacon was under investigation for narcotics peddling, and the church who bought their rec center with lottery winnings. Such is the Baptist religion.

Despite the title this blog is not about the music the occasion for it. Fall Festival. Yes, Fall Festival. No one here is allowed to use the words Halloween. That would be sacrilegious. When Christians tell you they don't want a theocracy, bear that in mind.  Admittedly, the thought behind the church fall festival is good. Get the kids off the streets and give them something to do to keep them out of trouble. That's all well and good, and they are well intentioned. Unfortunately, that's where it all falls apart. They set up a church fair in their rec center and let anyone in free, feed them, and even give goody baskets to the kids.

My first year here, when I went with my kids it was a lot of fun, although I did have some explaining to do about the comic book that showed knights fighting dinosaurs, because everyone knows they existed at the same time. However, that's in the realm of amusing local tradition, not a problem. No the problem is that as Clinton county has become more and more a center for antisocial behavior, so to has the churches fall festival. It was bad enough when 18 year old jocks from the high school were sent through rides with 5 year old kids and no one seemed to care, but when the drug dealers stop off there to get fed and set up connections before the rest of their night, there's a problem. The amusing part is the place has cops there for security, and the druggies are operating in plain sight, but no one will say anything. I guess Christians don't like to judge. Or maybe they're involved in the trade. I really can't figure this place out.