I read the article, and the only abuse here is the state abusing its authority.

I don't really know much about the mother other than what's in the story, but she obviously raised a child who feels independent enough to walk a mile to town by himself at age 11. (The title says "10", but the article says "11".) I would say that this is a positive thing.

On the other hand, the state is threatening to take away all of her children with this single incident. The state wants to break up this family unless she complies with all of their invasive demands. Breaking up a family seems like tyranny, especially in response to such an innocent incident.

It was less than a mile to town.

Literally less than a mile.

This is insane. When exactly is a permissible age for kids to be walking about on their own?

Things are absolutely different today than they were when I was a kid. My parents never had any idea where I was. They simply said "be home by dinner" and I was home by dinner. Did we get into trouble? Absolutely. But that's part of being kids.

Fast forward to today. My partner and I don't see eye to eye on this because of how things feel so unsafe now. I know how valuable that independence was for me though, so I tend towards permissiveness.

The thing is, kids still walk to school in all kinds of localities. I remember walking to school on a much busier road than the one described in this article. The worst I ever encountered was teenagers throwing eggs once. (Haha. They missed.) And yeah, drivers may hit you. I get it. The government can help mitigate that with better planning and sidewalks, if they actually cared.

But a tracking app too!? Where the government can know my kids location?! That presumes my children even have a phone with a mobile plan, which is a privilege the government isn't paying for. And if they did, @#$& you government! Seriously. WTF?!

I'm both flabbergasted and not. Because, these days, I pretty much only expect fuckery. I wish that weren't the case. I often hope it isn't. And I love being surprised when it's not the case. But 🤬!

I would have thought a red state like Georgia would not have what they call "Nanny state" laws? I'd like to see the actual wording of the "reckless conduct" law they would be charging her under. Does it actually specify how, when and where your children can go unsupervised and what ages of children it applies to, or do the cops just get to "use their own judgement"?

edit to add: I feel sorry for kids growing up today and apparently in the last 20 years or so. When I was a kid our mothers just said "Be back by supper" and we went out and played wherever. they didn't know where we were. No cell phones to track us.

The other side of the coin is when kids are legitimately getting abused and it gets brushed off as a kid "acting out".

"She kept mentioning how he could have been run over, or kidnapped or 'anything' could have happened," recalls Patterson.

Might have even had Police Contact and that's dangerous as FUCK.

Software neutrality MUST become a constitutional right. I will never install your proprietary subcontracted stalkerware garbage and you never never have a right to extort me onto some stalkerware platform of any kind. My device is like my home. I have a right as a citizen in a democracy to lock my doors and bar anyone I choose from entry.

These dumb fucks should come out where I live. Little kids younger than that walking much farther than that to school alone.

Because we're fucking normal here.

The absolute state of the U.S. A thousand years of shame would not be enough

Europeans who's children go to school alone at 6 would be laughing their ass off if this wasn't such outrageous bs

10 year old is too young to walk alone to town but 16 year old can be trusted with a car.

You don't want the Dutch scenario to happen. Children as young as 6 are joining bike gangs that hog half the trail width and don't bother to step down in pedestrian zones!

If I already didn’t wish to bring kids into this world this would’ve pushed me there. Holy 🤬.

America, fuck yeah!

Looks like Georgia DOES have a "Reasonable Childhood Independence" law...

https://letgrow.org/states/

So cops are ignorant or just don't care?

Huh? What the actual fuck?

This is my third time coming across this topic today. I was waiting for additional information, but I wonder if there is any history there. Maybe the sheriff has been feuding with the family for a while and wanted to use this as an opportunity to exert dominance. Maybe they suspect the kid has truly been causing trouble and so are using this as an opportunity to track the kid and see.

Overall, seems like an overreaction, especially in small town USA.

1. The State requires Adults to be responsible for Children until they are at the end of the age of Legal custody, these ages vary, but it's usually 18 years old

2. It it very difficult for The State to determine which activities done without Adult supervision are safe for children, I mean, just look at the Catholic Church

3. The State is a hammer, everything it sees is a nail