Our sensitivity obsession ...

is ruining Halloween for children.

Just before dinner on Oct. 29, my 12-year-old son, who had previously announced he was taking the year off from trick-or-treating, took me aside and quietly asked if I would take him out to get a Halloween costume.

One little boy snapped at his mother, who brought him a mask to try on: “I already told you, nothing covering the face,” he said, exasperated. “You’re going to get me in trouble.” And even though this is a common school proscription, I felt bad for the mom because it wasn’t like she’d picked up a ghoulish zombie mask or a mask that makes your face look like a bum (this is also a thing). She’d found a ghost mask with a Caspar-level friendly smile and huge eyeholes for maximum visibility. Honest mistake.