From the Editors: October 2024

Tim

You feel that? The slight tinge of crispness in the air? The faint smell of decaying leaves? Dusk edging towards darkness earlier and earlier each night?

It's October and it's time to get scared! What is it about fear that fascinates us so? The fear that comes with Halloween is one thing — jump scares or creepy-crawly, spine-chilling thrills — but real human fear comes in many forms.

FOMO (the fear of missing out) will be in full effect in October, as there are zillions of events happening throughout Erie — like the Eerie Horror Fest, Eerie Stories, Legends, and Lore Tours, or local productions like The Woman in Black or Sweeney Todd (all featured herein). Additionally, the sixth annual 40 Under 40 Experience is happening on Oct. 11 — although there's no need to fear missing out on this epic event — tickets are on sale now.

The fear of death, that you might die or lose someone you love (human or pet), is the ultimate fear for anything living — and we avoid it (and thinking about it) as much as possible. When the time eventually comes for our pets, as we know in our heart it will, Hearthside Pet Cemetery — Erie's only and oldest pet cemetery — is here to make that bridge to the other side a little easier to cross. Our cover this month, executed by the one-and-only "Monster" Mark Kosobucki (also featured herein), was inspired by the souls resting at Hearthside — you can read the story of the animal graveyard and its stewards within this issue.

Fear is big in politics — and within the scope of this issue we will all be making a decision that evokes fear for most Americans, one way or another. In the looming presidential election (happening on Tuesday, Nov. 5 — make a plan to vote now), for Democrats, the fear lies in the almost unthinkable possibility of losing our democracy. It's a very real fear given the behavior of the Republican candidate and those who fall in line with him. It is fear of losing more of our rights — our rights to free speech, our rights to fairly elect our leaders, our rights to make choices about our own bodies, our rights to marry who we love, our children's rights to a quality public education in a safe school, and our right to exist on a healthy planet — among many others.

For Republicans, the fears are more manufactured. At the rallies, candidates will stoke fears of immigrants to America who are going to take away their way of life, steal their children, terrorize their neighborhoods, take their jobs, eat their pets, etc. They continually scapegoat the LGBTQIA+ community, in particular the trans community, or demonize racial minorities. But the real root of it here is xenophobia, "the fear or hatred of people who are perceived as different, often based on their nationality, ethnicity, race, or religion." Through Republican talking points, actions, and the reasoning behind the way they vote — it is this, pure and simple, behind it all. Fear.

But the solution to fear is always in discovery — learning more about that which scares you will make it less frightening and more relatable. That bump in the night? It was just your cat knocking over a plant. That flying object in the sky? It's just some dude's drone. Those immigrants that are going to destroy your way of life? The trans kid trying to be themself? They're just people — neighbors, parents, classmates — who deserve as many rights as our country can offer them, while we've still got them. And they're not anyone to be scared of.

What's really scary is that so many people believe the politicians who are using fear to earn your vote. Pay attention to the man behind the curtain — it's not a wizard, it's just one scared, sad man trying to make you believe in something that's not actually real.