When I was a kid, it was rare that you'd come across a house with its lights off (signalling, "No candy here") on Halloween night. When you saw one, you'd think, "Some old woman who chopped up her husband must live there."
These days, I would estimate that 60% of the houses are dark. Some people are out of town. Some are houses of single parents who have to take their own children out. Some are dark because both parents wanted the experience of taking their kids trick-or-treating (an act of community selfishness that floors me). And some just don't want to give away candy: you can see the TV's blue light coming through the drapes.
And some, apparently, are child molesters, which is the probably explanation I'll proffer when I see a house with its lights out.
In Westchester County, high-risk sex offenders on probation will be required to attend a four-hour educational program on Halloween night. In New Jersey, state officials are instructing paroled sex criminals not to answer their doors if trick-or-treaters come knocking. And in counties throughout Texas, parolees with child contact restrictions are being told to stay away from Halloween activities, even family gatherings.
All across the country this year, local and state authorities are placing registered offenders under one-night curfews or other restrictions out of fear that in only a few days, costumed children asking for candy will be arriving on their doorsteps.
Aside: Of course, the civil libertarians are concerned about the feelings of the sex offenders, dressing up their concern under the guise of asking whether it'll be effective:
Donna Lieberman, the executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said the new initiatives were a "headline-grabbing response to a serious public health and safety issue" and failed to differentiate between sex offenders whose crimes were against adults and those who focused on children.
"One has to wonder whether this is simply political posturing in time for upcoming elections," she said.
