Happy Halloween from the NAACP

There are many things to love about Utah. The wonderful climate. Mountains with perfect powder. Friendly people. However, there are many things about Utah that leave me shaking my head. This Halloween I have noticed the overuse of a word in Utah that I am certain would not be so freely used anywhere else in the country. The word in question is Spook. I hesitate even to write that word on my blog for fear of being accused of being a racist. For those who don't know (a.k.a. my neighbors...) Spook is a VERY racist term for a black person. Arguably worse than the “N” word.

When I first noticed that people in Utah apparently didn't know what this word meant I was at a craft fair with some co-workers. One of my co-workers, Tracy, was in a little booth that sold home goods. She came out shaking her head and sent me into the same booth. Specifically to look at the doormats. To my horror there was a doormat that read, "Spooks Welcome." I felt like someone had just punched me in both my eyes! Was this a left over from the 50’s? I looked around the rest of the booth thinking I would see pointy white hats for sale, along with signs meant for posting by drinking fountains reading, “White’s Only!” Fortunately the booth did not have anything of the sort, and had a decidedly Halloween theme. They were not selling doormats to the KKK, they were just attempting to be clever. And failing. Miserably.

As the holiday approached I noticed the use of this word all around my neighborhood. A sign down the street proclaiming, "FREE! Safety tips for Spooks!". A sign in a window with big orange letters, "Spook children welcome!" The local ward posting signs on my door reading “Trunk or Treat. Spooks of all ages welcome!”

On the bright side, at least all the references to Spooks were friendly and welcoming. I saw no signs that read, “Die Spook, Die!”

For further enlightenment on the subject please visit: www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=spook.