Halloween season is here; little devils, pirates and assorted ghouls will come trolling for treats. A few will get tricks; someone I know had fun one year hiding the candy, and holding out a plate of raw Brussels sprouts first. One little girl reportedly cried. Kids still say "Trick or treat," but they're thinking, "Give me candy;" they may not recognize a trick when it's played on them even though they've just verbally threatened or invited one.

Government plays some nasty tricks on the governed. They offer us the chance to vote, and when a voter gets what he asked for, he thinks he's been burnt. He took the bait, swallowed the line, and either decides he bit the wrong line, or blames bait and switch tactics. I will never call anyone a sucker for voting, but someone who swallows that bait and afterwards blames people who didn't vote for the fact that he got what he got: well, if the hook fits, wear it gracefully.

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