Many people are joking, saying this could literally start a “Purge” or that this is the clown version of a zombie apocalypse. Sorry clowns, that’s terrifying and I want no part of it! It really boggles my mind that clowns of all things are an issue right now. It’s mostly a joke, but seriously people, is this necessary? This trend has been talked about on local news channels and is now spreading to larger broadcasts like CNN! It’s becoming a national issue and is terrifying for some.

Between people being actual threats, people dressing up because they think it’s funny, and people chasing down the other two, it’s getting out of hand. No town is safe anymore, mostly because it’s impossible to tell if it’s a “good” clown or a “bad” one. Especially with everything going on with recent national security issues, no one feels safe in our country, our towns, even our own homes. That's something that should really piss you off! Get this - my younger siblings aren’t allowed to go trick-or-treating this year. My parents don’t want to risk anything happening to them, which is understandable. The actions of these clowns are unpredictable and it's hard to tell if they're a legitimate threat or not. My older brother got threatened by clowns with an ax and a hatchet while he was driving home from work. We shouldn’t have to be scared in locked vehicles on roads we’ve lived on for years!

The police already have so much to worry about. Now, we’re adding creepy clowns (that sometimes aren’t even doing any illegal activity) to the mix. There’s not really anything they can charge with when a person is just walking down the street, even if they’re dressed like a freakishly scary clown for attention. They're not all harmless, though. Some of them are attempting to lure children into the woods. Who knows what their intentions are! Fright can turn into anger real quick, especially when messing with someone's children. Many people are bound to get seriously injured if this doesn't stop soon.

Social media isn’t helping this craze either. If anything, it’s inspiring people to dress up. Everyone wants to go viral nowadays, they’re always looking for the next trend, the next way to gain followers. A lot of the sighting videos I’ve viewed seem SO staged. Some people aren’t thinking of it like that though, and it’s actually concerning footage to them.

A few words of advice:

Don't go hunting for these fools, it’s just encouraging them. They think it's all fun and games. If you happen to see one, just report it and try to remember as many details as possible. You should always lock your doors and never leave your house unprotected, at least carry pepper spray on you.

For a view of the creepier side and more history on clowns, here’s an article from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/03/health/creepy-clown-..

Please, let’s all grow up and stop this ridiculous trend.