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This past Halloween I saw something I hadn’t seen in Halloween’s past: debates surrounding ghost tours and haunted houses. Specifically, people protesting them and working to shut them down because they felt they’re disrespectful and/or not politically correct.
In year’s past there has been a religious element against ghost tours and haunted houses. Halloween lovers have all met the types: people who believe celebrating Halloween is satanic and/or evil so they ban the festivities –and in some cases they condemn those who revel in them.
But last year the theme seemed to be a push to make Halloween more PC by whatever means necessary –including drastic ones like shutting tours or haunted houses down.
Here’s a case I’ve been watching with a lot of interest the past few months. One that’s now had an interesting outcome that I think is most unfortunate and which I hope doesn’t set a precedent for the closure of other ghost tours.
PICTON’S GHOST TOUR ENTERTAINMENT VALUE DISRESPECTS TOWN’S TRAGEDY
I read an article back in September 2010 by Ben Pike in the Macarthur Chronicle called “Picton Ghost Hunts future in doubt.” Not too long after that article I read another article about the same issue: “Australia’s most haunted turn ghostbusters” by Vikki Campion.
Both articles were about the same thing: a ghost tour in an Australian town that, after 13 years in operation, found its business license in jeopardy while the city’s council decided whether or not to keep letting it operate.
Those for it say it’s bringing in business. Motels, cafes and gas stations all benefit.
Those against say it disrupts the eternal slumber of those who died tragically and are trying to rest peacefully in the cemetery where they’re buried. Also, some residents don’t like the type of people who come to check out the area on their own. They say they’ve had to deal with vandals and trespassers.
I understand both sides. That’s the tricky part of being interested in a field that’s ultimately pretty morbid and macabre and based on a lot of suffering. There needs to be respect.
Apparently the tour company has been respectful, so that’s not exactly the problem. It’s just rubbing some the wrong way.
And sadly it seems the people against the tour continuing have won the fight. Just this week Vikki Campion wrote how the Picton ghost tours were forced to shut down.
This is a very sad turn of events. One I hope does not set a precedent for others looking to shut down tours they’re opposed to.
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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I agree with you entirely. I think ghost tours need to be respectful. These tour only disturb the rest of those who die tragically if they are disrespectful. I also think some locations are so tragic they probably never need a ghost tour. I know most places welcome talk of haunting if it is done with respect.
THISYEAR THEY WILL CLOSE DOWN HAUNTED HOUSES AND GHOST TOURS IN THE USA.? THER WILL BE NO HALLOWEEN THIS YEAR.? THE DIMACRATS AND REPBLUCANS WILL HAVE A LAW TO CLOSE DOWN HAUNTED HOUSES AND GHOST TOURS.? AND TAKE HALLOWEEN AWAY FROM US.? THE PRSEADENT IS FOR CLOSEING HAUNTEDHOUSES AND GHOST TOURS,AND TAKE HALLOWEEN AWAY FROM US.?
That’s a good point, Jessica. Like when we did the cruise through New England and Canada there were lots of places associated with Titanic. It was amazing how the ghosts from that disaster still lived through stories, but not exactly official ghost tours. I’m just troubled this tour was shut down and being faulted for non-ghost tour trouble. It’s Picton and its history that draws the tresspassers and vandals, not the tour. If the trouble still continues then what will they ban? All outside visitors period? Or enforce a curfew?
TJ, I don’t think you have to worry about haunted houses being closed down here in the U.S. And I seriously doubt President Obama will make any decree outlawing them. He’s got much bigger worries. Like dealing with Tea Partiers!
Perhaps we should be asking ourselves if organized religion is accepting that spirits are among us. I mean don’t you have to be admitting that if you are suggesting that tours are disrespectful. That sure isn’t the belief of many Christian religions I am aware of.
HE WILL DO IT WITH CAP AND TRDE. TO CLOSE DOWN HAUNTED HOUSE AND GHOST TOURS.TEAPARTIERS ARE WORRIE ABOUT CLOSE DOWN HAUNTED HOUSEES. AND CLOSE DOWN GHOST TOURS. THERS A TEAPARTY OWNER WHO OWNS SACRE FEST .COM. HE HIS WORRY THAT THER WILL BE NO HAUNTED HOUSES IN USA.OBAMA IS A RED PARTY. HE HATES USA. AND WHITE PEPOLE.THE USA IS NOT FREE ANYMORE.IT IS A SAD DAY.THE NWOPARTY IS RUING THE USA NOW. THE NWO PARTY IS GOING TO TRUN OFF YOUR WEB SET. THATS THE TRUTH. IF YOU LESTING TO FOX TV.AND RADIO. YOU WILL GET THE TRUTH.!!!!!!!!!!!!
BEWER OF 666666 PARTIERS THEY AER MORE WORST THEN THE TEA PARTIERS. THE TEA PARTIRES ARE MORE GOOD.THEN BAD. THEY WHANT TO TAKE BACK THE USA.LIKE IT WAS WHN THE FHOR FATHERS HAD RUN IT GOOD INTHE USA. LIKE MR.WHASNTON. OUR FIRST PRSEADENT. AND STOP THE RED PARTIERS AND THE NWO PARTIERS. AND THE 66666 PARTIERS. FOR CLOSEING DOWN THE HAUNTED HOUSES . AND THE GHOST TOURS. THE TEA PARTY WHANTS TO STOP THEM. THER THE ONES THAT ARE BAD FOR THE USA. THE TEA PARTY IS FOR FREEDOM IN THE USA. THE RED PARTY AND THE NWO PARTY AND THE 6666 PARTY DOSE NOT WHANT FREEDOM IN THE USA. THE RED PARTY AND THE NWO PARTY AND THE 6666PARTY GOING TO PUT US IN WORK CAMPS.!!!!!!!
HOPE YOU ALL HAD A NICE CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!
Chuck, you bring up a VERY interesting point! Good one. I like your train of thought!
Imaginary things can not be politically incorrect.
I can not argue with that, All the World. You make a super interesting argument.
If they closed down all haunted places here in the UK then our tourist industry would all but disappear overnight. It all depends on scale. Those ghouls who go on disaster tours and the like, going to places of immense tragedy or recent murder scenes etc – yes they need to be stopped. That is very distasteful and non pc, but historical building and sites – well, let’s have a little common sense about things. A friend of mine conducts Jack The Ripper walks around London. The locals don’t view it as disrespectful of the dead.
That’s a very interesting point, Dave. We were in Halifax last year and they talked a lot about the Halifax Explosion, but not so much as a ghost tour. Although, it’s my understanding some ghosts were born of the tragedy and are talked about on one of the tours, but they don’t just specifically focus on the explosion. It is such a fine line. History makes ghosts, and some history is more tragic than others… And considering all the centuries and centuries of history you have over there…wow. Ghosts come along with it.
Although, I think you all have always had more of an open-mind towards ghosts anyway. Seems like legends of ghosts go back to the time of some of your earliest kings and queens, so maybe being accustomed to it helps put it all in perspective. Maybe it’s harder when the tragedies are more recent and we can relate to them because some witnesses are still alive? Or ancestors of witnesses?
I suppose it’s a yes and no scenario. Many ghost hunters (including Most Haunted) have investigated several old, disused RAF bases where many fine young men – British, American, Australian Canadian and young men from many more places – flew out to meet death in the cause of freeing the world from tyranny. There must be many many relatives still alive to mourn these young men (and women come to that). I think as long as anything is done with respect and compassion then people don’t get upset.
More good points. That’s the tricky part of the ghost biz, isn’t it?
Ack, I hit submit too soon. I meant to add: The fine line we must tread when looking for ghost stories and perhaps evidence of the ghosts making them.