After attending the North Dakota State Fair this past week, I want to comment on one of its attractions.

It's about the dunking booth, where fair-goers were persuaded to try their luck at sinking the clown in a cage. This carnival attraction surely has been around for a long time.

However, it is clear to many people the manner in which "Bobo the Clown" solicits his customers is outright crude and borderline slanderous. To young and old, to people of many different backgrounds and appearances, the clown calls out with an amplified microphone to people passing by.

There are several reasons I write this. The booth advertised a "kids' special" until 9 p.m. Wednesday. The attraction itself was located next to a children's ride and the Ferris wheel. In an apparent attempt to attract children, carnival workers did not act in a responsible and dignified way. Throughout the day, different clowns kept up the same derogatory tone and stated crude remarks, disregarding decency.

No person should have to be subjected to stereotyped and dehumanizing comments in order to walk to the Ferris wheel. No adolescent should be publicly scrutinized as looking "fat," "emo," "fairy" (homosexual) or "redneck." No innocent child should have to listen to offensive, sexually harassing and callous comments aimed at their own parents or other adults.

Even though the Mighty Thomas Carnival may defend the comments as interaction in good jest, this blatant indecency should be censored from being heard by an unwilling public.

Incidentally, a logical way to do it would involve moving the booth away from children's rides. Additionally, this would require offering youth discounts and verbal discretion. Neither of these was the case.

No doubt that attraction is profitable and popular. Nevertheless, it is the North Dakota State Fair's duty to provide quality entertainment, and it should earn its revenue in a way that does not put indecencies in the minds of its attendees.