Innocence Lost-Halloween

Halloween is fast approaching.  However, if you've visited your local Costco or retail outlet, it feels like we've past Halloween and Thanksgiving and went straight to Christmas.  Many of our childhoods are spent anticipating the sacks of candy and sweets we could get while pandering on the streets of our local neighborhoods.  Even back when I was a child, there were the persistent rumours of tainted candy and the overwhelming fear of biting into an apple with a razor blade in it.  Unfortunately, this age old tradition has begun to lose its luster as I hear from parents and the news about the world around us.  Parents are gripped with fear at the thought of treats that may have been previously tampered with.  None of which are eased with the possibility of predators roaming the streets with their children.  The darkness of night helping to shield them and their nefarious plans.  Parents I know have told me of how they take their kids trick or treating but not allowing them to ingest any of their gains.  Instead, they buy items that they know are safe and trade them in for what they have recieved that night.  The unfortunate sweet tooths at the office the next day are left to be the canary in the mineshaft as they unwittingly partake of the previous nights returns..