Federal option

There is a website I visit once in a while, because it is a voice of sanity in an insane world. You might remember the story of a woman about a year and a half ago, who let her 9-year-old son find his way back to their house from an outing in NYC. He had asked her if he could travel the city unaccompanied. She and her husband discussed it between themselves, asking some basic questions: Is he capable of finding his way back? Does he know the subways well enough? Does he know how to ask for help if he gets lost? And finally the big one, is the adult he asks likely to drag him into an alley rape and murder him? They thought about the actual risks to their child, realized that they were minimal, and let him do it.

He arrived home in perfect safety.

The woman, Leonore Skenazy started a movement. She has since published a book "Free-Range Kids" and a website by that name. These days she spends a lot of time pointing out that the Jaycee Duggard story is not indicative of the level of risk our kids face, and that the actual crime rate against children is as low as it was in the early 70's--a time when kids were actually allowed to be outside without supervision.

So, I visit the website once in a while to check out the latest news. It's usually about parents being arrested for letting their teenager be alone for a few minutes.

Today, though, there is this:

...sometimes the problem is not parental hysteria. Sometimes, it’s that there are no crossing guards at a busy street, or no sidewalks. Safe Routes to School is a program that addresses just such issues to make it easier for kids to get THEMSELVES to school, safely. ...Here’s a note from the deputy director there on how we can help support its efforts:

Join the Safe Routes to School “Dear Congress” campaign

The federal Safe Routes to School program is all about making sure that children can safely and independently walk and bicycle to school. With Safe Routes to School funding—which is $612 million over 5 years—communities are building sidewalks, bike paths, crosswalks, and other infrastructure improvements to make sure children have safe routes to school, separate from traffic. Safe Routes to School funding also helps teach children safe behaviors when they are walking and bicycling, and encourages more families and children to get active on the way to and from school.

Congress is currently considering reauthorizing the federal Safe Routes to School program as part of the next transportation bill.

Excuse me?!!!! I can not think of a stupider use of the federal government than this.

CROSSING GUARDS!!!

Can't the parents do this themselves? Does every problem in the world really need a federal government solution? This is insanity. Work with the high school to get a high school kid on the corner. Hire a minimum-wage person to stand on the corner. Get a grandparent or two to volunteer. Talk to churches in the area and see if they'd like to help. Talk to local law enforcement to see if they could help. Make up a schedule to share the duty with your neighbors.

Do it yourselves!

In a movement that is all about letting your kids take charge of their own lives, this is just wrong.