There are several issues with the viral video of a family raiding a candy bowl in front of Cody Tate’s house on Halloween.
The obvious conclusion is that our high-trust society is gone, but it’s not because of the family stealing the candy.
Our society used to have rules that everyone willingly bought into — like only taking one piece of candy from an unattended bowl. It wasn’t because we were magically born into communities that celebrated holidays together or that the law required more of older generations than of our modern society. It’s that our ancestors collectively decided to put in the work.
Halloween, like the Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, is a community holiday. Regardless of the holiday’s origins, in America, to celebrate it properly, neighbors are required to participate. (ROOKE: Where Did All The Good Men Go?)
Houses get decorated. Apple cider is made, and people stand out on their front porches, greeting superheroes and princesses with kindness. It’s part of what made America great. It’s not a complicated riddle. Our forefathers wanted a community for their families and built it. They understood that participation from every member was vital to keeping a safe society.
Kid spots an empty bowl on Halloween and gives up his own candy to fill it up.
What a contrast. pic.twitter.com/FvYssxZtGa
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) November 1, 2023
Sure, the parents are disgusting. They set an example of greed that will likely lead their children into a life that can only cause them pain. They deserve better than parents who would fail them so publicly that the entire world shares their faces “to own the libs” over crime and the open southern border.
Children should be taught that neither scenario is okay if America wants to return to being a high-trust society. Before the 2000s, it would be unheard of for someone to leave a bowl out on the porch and call it a job well done. Only the lazy do-nothings barely functioning in society left an unattended bowl. But now it’s socially acceptable to put some king-size candy bars out for little kids and hide inside your man cave. (ROOKE: Red State Conservatives Don’t Hate The Department Of Education As Much As They Should)
It does nothing to complain about the family of thieves stealing candy from a singer’s candy bowl if no one is willing to admit that the real culprit isn’t even in the video. Cody Tate checked out of the community when he decided to leave the bowl of candy unmanned. When men check out of community events, society crumbles. The “high-trust” part of society that allows people to leave candy on the porch for trick-or-treaters only works if there are enough men participating that anyone with the idea of behaving that way would be too scared of the consequences.
We don’t have enough men participating to make it safe enough for Tate to abandon his bowl and expect his community to fulfill the rest of the societal contract.
A basket of candy for trick-or-treaters was robbed on Halloween night
A neighbor saw what happened, so he came and dumped in a whole new bag of candy in the basket pic.twitter.com/auWQHObKZX
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) November 1, 2023
It’s required that for those of us who want to build a country with pride, we honor our commitment to the community. That means telling every Spiderman, Princess Peach, and St. Jude, ringing your doorbell, “Happy Halloween,” and applauding their costume. There is no denying that kids are there for the candy. It reigns supreme in a child’s hierarchy of needs. Still, it can’t be understated how important it is for children to receive compliments from people in their community and see their neighbors interacting with peace and civility. Children who witness strong men leading and protecting their community will grow up to do the same.
A society is built by the way its members participate. It’s okay if this is not something you want to experience. No law requires strong men to lead communities in trick-or-treating or that someone has to hand out candy to their neighbors’ children. Still, complaining that your treat bowl got emptied while you refused to partake in one of the easiest community requirements doesn’t make you the victim of a low-trust society. Instead, you become the prey of the very society created by your absence.
Mary Rooke is a reporter at the Daily Caller and host of “Trad-ish with Mary Rooke.”
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller.