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Friday, October 14, 2016

Clowning Around

by: Chris Van Asten


Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past few weeks, you would know that there is a bit of a clown epidemic going on.  All across the United States, there have been countless sightings of people dressed as clowns trying to scare people in public places.  


Most of the sightings are not dangerous; however, there have been instances where the situation turned violent, but not in the way you would think.  There have been videos posted on social media showing people “clown hunting.” Groups of people have gone around looking for these clowns and assaulting them when they find one.  Police are trying to crack down on the issue by making the laws clear for people.  They are saying that anyone dressed up as a clown is not illegal unless they are making an effort to scare or threaten people.  On the other hand, it is illegal to use deadly force, or any force for that matter, against a clown unless acting in self defense.  At this point, it is becoming more dangerous for the clowns than the people they are trying to scare.  


This whole craze has the real clowns of America on edge.  They are upset because they are being depicted as dangerous and scary, when in reality, they are just trying to make a living.  It has gone as far as a “Clown Lives Matter” campaign.  A group of actual clowns is taking a stand in Tucson with a Clown Lives Matter march to protest these clown sightings.  


If you think we are safe from the clowns in the quiet Fox Valley, you are wrong.  This past week, there have been reports of clown sightings in Menasha, Appleton, and even in Sunset Park in Kimberly.  We caught up with Little Chute High School’s own Leighton Myers to talk about these clown sightings.  When asked what he thought about the clown craze he answered, “I think it’s funny. But people are overreacting and being a little too harsh to the clowns.” Next we asked him if he has ever seen a clown in person, and what would he do. He said, “No I have not seen one.  Attempted to, but the attempt failed.  If I saw one, I would probably take a snapchat picture or video then ask him if he needs a warm place to sleep tonight.”  Lastly we wanted Leighton to give a message to all of the clowns out there trying to scare him.  He replied, “I am the assistant karate leader at the local dojo, and I am highly trained in martial arts. Purple belt.”

Most importantly, we here at the Mustang Corral want to see all students at LCHS stay safe.  When going around looking for clowns, it is advised you stay in the vehicle.  If you insist on going outside, it is advised to carry some type of hand held weapon like a bat.  However, this is strictly for self defense and should not be used for assault.  

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