To the editor:
What if I told you the latest hot topic has everyone scared of the wrong thing? Everyone needs to stop confusing people in terrible costumes for clowns. I know clowns. I am a clown, or as we spell it in The County, “klown.”
I am one of many clowns in Aroostook County, the state of Maine and beyond that devotes a piece of our lives and all of our hearts into fixing the troubles of the world one smile at a time. The only time you’re going to find us in the woods is when we’re wearing blaze orange running after Bullwinkle. We give out balloons or stickers, not the promise of candies and treats to lure people into dark places. More than that, we give out trading cards that have our actual names on the back because we’re not out to hide anything, we’re trying to tell you we’re here to help!
We don’t wear masks, we take the time to paint on a smile, do our hair just right, glue on a nose and hope a small hand doesn’t take it with them when they try to squeak it (side note: they don’t squeak, but those little hands try awful hard!).
We spend our free time getting dressed up, walking miles of parade routes, tying thousands of balloons, handing out high fives and smiles like it’s a full-time job. We’re clowns, it’s what we do.
People are too quick to call these troublemakers making the headlines in recent days “clowns.” It’s bad enough we have to turn the other cheek when they associate certain politicians or the kid that misbehaves the most in class with us. We can’t take this one, too!
Let’s call it the way it is this time. These are people who disguise themselves with a costume and cover their faces with masks for fear they’ll be recognized for who they are. They’re bad people who do bad things. They just happen to be wearing clown costumes while they do it. They could be wearing a horse mask and that doesn’t mean that all of the Kentucky Derby is out to plot your demise! Not to tell you how to live your life, but, shouldn’t you probably question anyone that’s leering, peeking, or trying to lure you into anything whether they have a costume on or not?
They aren’t clowns. They’re like anti-clowns. You know, like how Spiderman has an opposite version of himself called Venom. They’re venomous! They harass, terrorize, victimize others and commit crimes. We raise money for charities, the spirits of the sick and sometimes a little mischief – but in a good way. As Spidy would say, “with great makeup, hair and giant shoes comes great responsibility.” You know, if he was a clown and not a superhero. We take that responsibility seriously and do everything we can to make the world and every day we’re in it a day that everyone can appreciate and enjoy.
So, please, on behalf of myself, my brother klowns and all clowns in general: don’t fear us, don’t try to hunt us, don’t spread the misnomer that it’s clowns who are doing these things. Remember that it isn’t the costume that makes someone scary; it’s the person inside that makes all the difference. Keep your eyes peeled for bad people. Those are the ones you need to watch out for.
