[Source: U.S. Census Bureau]
Why banning 13-year-olds from trick-or-treating on Halloween is ridiculous:
“The city of Chesapeake [, Virginia] has an ordinance that bans anyone 13 years and older from trick-or-treating. If teens are caught in costume with a sack full of free candy, they could be found ‘guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $100 or by confinement in jail for not more than six months or both.'”
Such laws are not anything new in the state. Rules with undoubtedly selective enforcement – officials say they won’t be actively looking to catch teenage trick-or-treaters in the act – make me nervous about its application.
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The Paul Lynde Halloween Special is a Halloween-themed television special starring Paul Lynde broadcast October 29, 1976 on ABC. It featured guest stars Margaret Hamilton in her first reprisal of her role as The Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz.
Also guest starring are Billie Hayes as Witchiepoo from H.R. Pufnstuf, Tim Conway, Roz Kelly, Florence Henderson, rock band KISS, Billy Barty, Betty White and, in an unbilled surprise appearance, Donny and Marie Osmond.
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From the Census Bureau’s Facts for Features. Dating back 2,000 years to the Celtic festival of Samhain, Halloween is an ancient tradition associated with images of witches, ghosts and vampires.
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I commented on Twitter that the 13-year-olds in costumes and trying to get candy are not the ones you should worry about. Most of them are the little nerds who are desperately trying to hang on to childhood.
(Disclaimer: I went out one last time, in costume, when I was 16. Yes, I took candy when it was offered me, though I was really going because the youngest daughter of a neighbor wanted to go, her parents were working and all her older siblings had parties or something, and her parents didn’t want her going alone, so I told them I’d take her and my younger brother around to the houses….)
I’ve also heard some commenters note that white people tend to overestimate the age of Black children, and that might be a component of this. Though honestly? If the kid’s in costume and not causing trouble, just leave them alone. I’m not gonna ask for ID if any trick or treaters come to my house…