Boy, this story by Freeman Klopott in the Examiner sure starts bad, doesn’t it?

Last year, we had a laugh or two about the signs that Maryland required registered sex offenders to post during last year’s trick-or-treating hours, in order to let parents know which houses to avoid. We even had deeply offensive musical accompaniment! But despite last year’s positive results, the signs were not required this year, according to WTOP. Why’s that? “[T]he sign was confusing because it had a pumpkin,” said the coordinator of the sex offender…

Sure, everyone had a good laugh about them. One intrepid reader even wrote a song about them. And – I’m sure like many others – I was the victim of some friendly ribbing by office colleagues who felt it appropriate to paste them on my door with specific instructions not to answer the door. But as much as we want to have a joke at their expense, Maryland police credit the now notorious “No Candy…

Reader Justin Enright enjoyed the story we pointed out last week about how Maryland was requiring convicted sex offenders to post signs on their homes that read, “No Candy at this Residence” in big, capital letters over a scary jack-o-lantern. He enjoyed it so much, in fact, that he wrote and recorded a little song about it. It’s a sad ballad from the point of the view of the sex offender. The lyrics are deeply…

Really want to scare the bejesus out of your neighbors this Halloween? Consider posting the sign at right, which the Washington Times reports was recently sent in the mail to all registered sex offenders in Maryland. The paper signs began arriving last week in the mailboxes of the roughly 1,200 violent and child-sex offenders across the state with a letter explaining how they are to comport themselves on Oct. 31. “Halloween provides a rare opportunity…