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Mom handcuffed, jailed for 8-year-old son walking half a mile

reason.com

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Re: Mom handcuffed, jailed for 8-year-old son walking half a mile

#101

Post by vidanay »

mox1 wrote: post #27
bradlys wrote: post #19

Police just power tripping as usual. I wonder why they don't name and shame the officers - clearly these are the people doing wrong and should be removed from their positions.

The local DA is the person to look to here. Cops don't persecute cases. Clearly the cops started this stupid ball rolling, but anyone at the local attorneys office could have just chosen not to persecute. Instead they offered the plea deal.

Cops do a lot of persecution. They don't do prosecution though (unless they decide to be judge, jury, and executioner that day.)

Re: Mom handcuffed, jailed for 8-year-old son walking half a mile

#102

Post by klyrs »

beardyw wrote: post #95
spoils19 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thing is that the US has much greater freedoms than Europe, after all, we did fight for them. It's every US citizens understanding that with greater freedoms come greater responsibilities to raise children to be future leaders. This can't happen if a child is mowed down in a driveby or if they accidentally trip over while walking.

> the US has much greater freedoms than Europe Does it? I can't see this happening in Europe. What freedoms stand out?

Freedom to flood the streets with guns, hooah!

Re: Mom handcuffed, jailed for 8-year-old son walking half a mile

#104

Post by [deleted] »

spoils19 wrote: post #54
rlkf wrote: post #25

In my twice-the-size European city, kids walk twice that distance to school and back home again, alone. Every. Single. Day. If this place isn't safe enough for kids to walk by themselves, maybe the question should be raised whether the police and municipal government really is doing their job the way they're supposed to.

The thing is that the US has much greater freedoms than Europe, after all, we did fight for them. It's every US citizens understanding that with greater freedoms come greater responsibilities to raise children to be future leaders. This can't happen if a child is mowed down in a driveby or if they accidentally trip over while walking.

[deleted]

Re: Mom handcuffed, jailed for 8-year-old son walking half a mile

#105

Post by smallerfish »

I'm suspicious of the story, honestly. What are they leaving out? Searching for her name in google news, the Reason story is the only hit, and since this is the perfect piece to stoke their readers' engagement, I'm skeptical of their vetting. The GoFundMe was created back in September, and you would surely expect at least local news hits in google news by now.

Re: Mom handcuffed, jailed for 8-year-old son walking half a mile

#106

Post by nickthegreek »

dariusj18 wrote: post #58
DwnVoteHoneyPot wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't forget about the child safety services/social workers - they should have to be reasonable too.

No one wants to be the weak link that gets their name blasted in newspapers when a kid gets harmed. Not that it would really be their fault, but the incentives are obvious to "play it safe".

I feel like "playing it safe" could have been accomplished with the officers just dropping the kid back off back home. I don't see why it would escalate to pressing charges.

Re: Mom handcuffed, jailed for 8-year-old son walking half a mile

#107

Post by noasaservice »

giantg2 wrote: post #60
CodeMage wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There will always be people who overreact and call the police for inappropriate reasons. That isn't the problem. It's not the problem, but it is a problem. There's no reason we shouldn't try to work on both. > The problem is that the police, and then the DA, chose to make this a criminal matter. Either of them could and should have dismissed the issue after verifying that the child was not being put into a harmful…

The check and balance part isn't working. Any decent judge should see this lacks probable cause. But judges are not impartial and instead side with the DA/police by default.

> But judges are not impartial and instead side with the DA/police by default.

Anybody, and I do mean ANYBODY, who has been to traffic court knows the courts are the extension of the cops. Worse yet, in criminal court, judges tell the jury that "being a cop doesnt give any more or less truthfulness or power on their words".

The judges work with with cops and prosecution on a daily basis. They work against you extremely rarely.

Re: Mom handcuffed, jailed for 8-year-old son walking half a mile

#108

Post by neogodless »

commandlinefan wrote: post #17

My house was 0.99 miles (seriously) from my kid's elementary school - the cutoff for bus service was 1 mile, so my kids were classified as "walkers" to elementary school. I went ahead and drove them myself anyway, but the school seemed perfectly fine with them walking 0.99 miles each way every day.

Grew up on a road with an old, weight-limited bridge. Bus stop was about 0.7 miles from my house. Walked there every morning, and walked home every afternoon. In kindergarten (age 5), walked with older siblings in the morning. School let out before my siblings, so I was on my own on the way home, though I think a parent would come get me most of the time (but not always!) At ages 6-8, had at least one older sibling with me in the morning and afternoon. Ages 9+ walked alone.

Re: Mom handcuffed, jailed for 8-year-old son walking half a mile

#109

Post by [deleted] »

richliss wrote: post #80
monological wrote: post #24

Japan has entered the chat... In Japan, children are encouraged from early age to be independent. They even take the subway and bus by themselves, albeit it's significantly safer there than in other parts of the world. Still though, I think people in America have gone off the deep end.

They've even made an adorable Netflix show out of the concept - "Old Enough".

[deleted]
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