In many ways, this Halloween looks to be the last straw. Comments from city officials ranged from perturbed to infuriated and Mayor Dave Cieslewicz in particular had the harshest words, saying, \I have had enough. This must come to an end."" Although we are disturbed by the vagueness of his sentiment, we agree with it in principle. Because people cannot seem to act in a sane manner, the Madison police department is entirely justified in using draconian measures to deter future Halloween incidents. However, city officials should hesitate to make rash policy decisions when emotions are running high. The backlash might rival the behavior they are trying to stamp out.
Madison Halloween has not always been marred by riots, property damage and pepper spray. In fact, this past Friday night exemplified the behavior we should embrace-people were partaking in the festivities in a celebratory and safe manner. It seemed we were moving in the right direction, but once again, a few individuals hell-bent on destruction ruined the night for the rest of us. As citizens of Madison, we should discourage this behavior in our out-of-town friends-UW-Madison students only made up 12.8 percent of the arrests. The State Street business owners should continue to help ensure the safety of their shops in the future. Most importantly, however, the MPD should be commended for preventing a disastrous end to a relatively innocuous weekend.
Certainly, the events of this past weekend should be prevented by any reasonable means necessary. However, it is unlikely that many of the solutions being tossed are even feasible to implement. Curfews, closing down highways and martial law seem more reactionary than rational and may not even stop the Halloween celebration-individuals intent on causing destruction usually find a way to do so. Instead, this past Halloween's preparations should be looked at as the first step in where the annual celebration should go, and harsher punishments and police intervention may just be necessary to ensure a safe and enjoyable Halloween.
That said, we would be neither surprised nor could we in good conscience argue if the Mayor wanted to put a stop to the Halloween celebration. We certainly deserve whatever punishment they decide to impose.
