GUEST EDITORIAL: Clowning around that isn't funny

Sometimes, stories come along in the course of a news day that would be laughable if not for the problems accompanying the foolishness.

So let’s talk about clowns.

For most Americans, we presume, clowns conjure up images of silly performers who entertain crowds for comedic effect. There are rodeo clowns and circus clowns and clowns you can hire for your 6-year-old’s birthday party.

The older among us may even remember beloved and famous clowns like Emmett Kelly and his alter ego Weary Willie, or Red Skelton’s famed TV clown Freddie the Freeloader. Clowns were good guys. People liked clowns.

Maybe author Stephen King is to blame, for making the clown the bad guy in his best-selling book “It.” And, of course, serial killer John Wayne Gacy gave clowns the ultimate bad name.

Now, with the help of social media — which often seems to go hand-in-hand with weird behavior — evil clowns have become the fad around America threatening murder and mayhem. [Many] cities and villages have joined the clown parade, with social media driven threats frightening young children and forcing parents, police and school officials to respond.

Ignoring such foolishness would be the sane way to approach this situation. But authorities do not have that luxury. They have to take seriously any potential threat to safety, so police respond and school authorities react with caution. Meanwhile, parents have found the need to cope with young children’s fears. In the long run, will that make these little kids afraid to see a circus act? Possible.

And outrageous. Almost certainly, all across the country, this is nothing more than a few jerks getting their jollies by causing problems for other people.

It’s not funny. In fact, as police and school officials waste their time on such nonsense, there’s a cost and somebody has to pay for that waste. Taxpayers lose again.

Which brings us to this point: Somebody is responsible for this negative nonsense, wherever these make-believe threatening clowns pop up ... And social media, like any other function, leaves a digital trail that smart technical sleuths can follow. We recommend that effort be taken seriously.

The individuals responsible need to be identified and their actions taken seriously by the criminal justice system. Make an example of them. Clamp the cuffs on them, it at all possible, for a perp-walk of shame in front of their peers. Send the message that this kind of bad behavior has consequences.

A final word: There’s another point to be made, and it’s for parents. Modern conveniences like smartphones and social media have many positive applications, but the potential for abuse is just as real. Pay attention to what your kids are doing. Odds are, you are paying for their devices so why shouldn’t you have full access to how those devices are being used? Digital access allows kids — and adults — to create their own networks and worlds that may be real or unreal. It’s mostly harmless, but don’t assume that. Be a parent. Pay attention.