Halloween is here again with ghouls, goblins, and witches. For something scary, you can also create a Project 2025 costume. This should chill people’s bones. Also scary is #45. Drumps are one of the scariest creatures on the planet, and JD Vance is a close second. But a witch? How on earth did that costume earn such a place in the Halloween hall of fame?
It’s interesting to me that witches have been passed down through the ages as terrifying beings. In fact, the women thought to be witches were usually elderly widows or single women (you’re getting a medieval word, right?) who had almost all other career avenues closed to them, so they turned to herbal medicine and the home. He made a living practicing medicine. And since newts and toads abounded freely in the forests of medieval Europe, who could blame them for adding a small price increase to naturally harvested medicines?
Now, here’s the really scary part. Think about how many women were burned at the stake in medieval Europe. Most people would guess 1,000, maybe 6,000. Do you have any news…news from four centuries ago. Some modern historians put the figure in the millions. Accurate statistics are scarce, as the “witch-burning” epidemic resulted in “familiar spirits” (cats, birds, dogs) also immolating themselves, along with written records, diaries, and herbal recipe books.
Please understand that I do not mean to make light of (if you will excuse the expression) such an incredible tragedy. Still, many centuries have passed since the woman’s burning at the stake, so some observations can be made without revealing her name, of course, waiting for the notification of her relatives. Traditional historians don’t seem to think that millions of women are worth mentioning, so leave it to humorists to shed light (there’s that word again) on the dark side of things. I’ll make it.
Many people I have told this to cannot believe that there is no mention in the Big History Book of the large number of women who were burned at the stake as suspected witches. We claim that, at a primitive, cellular level, we remember, which explains why it is men who barbecue in our country. It’s easy to ask a woman to light the grill and suddenly have to mop the kitchen floor.
Oh yeah, the Inquisition had a pretty bad reputation with women at the time. Even though he was a sympathetic man, he had trouble interacting with women. The most well-meaning man can ask a woman if she would like a light. Then she can cut another stalk half a mile down the village path.
My doubts remain. Why are witches scary Halloween characters? What could be a scarier character than Drump and Vance, Ted Cruz, or the Yahoos of the Inquisition, especially the one with the matchstick? It’s easy to imagine Vance tying up a childless cat lady and lighting a match. By the way, I searched for Inquisitor’s costume and drum roll on Amazon and found it! You can find it by searching for “Adult Plus Size Premium Inquisitor Costume, Red Robe, Cloak, Hat.” This item is perfect for the misogynists in your community. And someone in an inquisitor costume would be much scarier than a witch, my little cutie. Happy Halloween!
Let’s switch gears and introduce you to our recommendations and plugins.
• “No” to Proposition 33 — This is an unwise and harmful law that impacts small landlords and, by extension, their tenants. I have two friends who own single-family homes and rent them out. They are conscientious landlords who intentionally keep rents low to cover costs and provide maintenance for low-income and middle-class renters. My friend said: “We understand our moral obligation and desire to help others and provide an affordable life for all. But the one-size-fits-all proposal of Proposition 33 It doesn’t solve the affordable housing problem; it just creates new problems for another group of people: the elderly.”
My friend was specifically mentioning his elderly parents who will no longer be able to afford to maintain a rental property to supplement their meager Social Security benefits. This harebrained proposal is similar to the boneheaded, one-size-fits-all proposal by the City and County of LA to ban Airbnb and other short-term rental providers. As with these bans, many retirees who rely on rental income to survive will once again be seriously hurt.
• You have Pwr — Parents and grandparents concerned about the safety of their loved ones, including LGBTQ children and students (whether or not they are protesting something), dealing with personal violence. It belongs to the group where there is a high possibility of having to do so. Other demographics. Depending on your generation, you may wonder, “Does such an app even exist?” Why yes, yes! The MyPwr app provides easy access to potentially life-saving verbal, emotional, and physical information to those who need it. One of my favorite features is that if you’re worried about prying eyes trying to see what’s on your device, you can just shake your phone and it will switch to a page in a cookbook that looks good .
MyPwr is conducting a series of pilots with universities in the United States, Czech Republic, and Kazakhstan. Search for “MyPwr” in the App Store and ask your loved one to download it. At the very least, it will connect them to a global network of people who are learning, one person at a time, how to protect themselves from personal violence.
The LA Press Club recently awarded Ellen Snortland Columnist and Journalist of the Year. If you would like access to other works by Ellen, please visit ellenbsnortland.substack.com and consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
