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The WaPo reports that Danielle and Alexander Meitiv in Montgomery County Maryland say they are being investigated for neglect after letting their 10-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter make a one-mile walk home from a Silver Spring park on Georgia Avenue on a Saturday afternoon. “We wouldn’t have let them do it if we didn’t think they were ready for it,” says Danielle. The Meitivs say they believe in “free-range” parenting, a movement that has been a counterpoint to the hyper-vigilance of “helicopter” parenting, with the idea that children learn self-reliance by being allowed to progressively test limits, make choices and venture out in the world. “The world is actually even safer than when I was a child, and I just want to give them the same freedom and independence that I had — basically an old-fashioned childhood,” says Danielle. “I think it’s absolutely critical for their development — to learn responsibility, to experience the world, to gain confidence and competency.”
On December. 20, Alexander agreed to let the children walk from Woodside Park to their home, a mile south, in an area the family says the children know well. Police picked up the children near the Discovery building, the family said, after someone reported seeing them. Alexander said he had a tense time with police when officers returned his children, asked for his identification and told him about the dangers of the world. The more lasting issue has been with Montgomery County Child Protective Services which showed up a couple of hours later. Although Child Protective Services could not address this specific case they did point to Maryland law, which defines child neglect as failure to provide proper care and supervision of a child. “I think what CPS considered neglect, we felt was an essential part of growing up and maturing,” says Alexander. “We feel we’re being bullied into a point of view about child-rearing that we strongly disagree with.”
(Score: 2) by naubol on Saturday January 17 2015, @01:31AM
I'm pretty pro gay... but I've never read evidence that the Roman republic was homo friendly.
OTOH there's an interesting argument that the most homophobic societies on the planet are places where US homophobes absolutely don't want to live.
(Score: 1) by tftp on Saturday January 17 2015, @02:06AM
It's hardly unusual that US citizens (of any persuasion) prefer to live in the USA. Other countries may have advantages to some, and disadvantages - like a different language, requirement of a work visa, lack of jobs, unfamiliar culture, etc. It's not like you can hop onto an airplane to Czech Republic and be all set in a day.
(Score: 2) by naubol on Saturday January 17 2015, @03:53PM
Everything you said is beyond disagreement. I must have failed to proper communicate my point, which is something like: if a US homophobe had to move to another country or voluntarily moved to another country the probability is that they would probably choose a more gay friendly country on average.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 17 2015, @03:47AM
I'm pretty pro gay... but I've never read evidence that the Roman republic was homo friendly.
read up on in it then [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Saturday January 17 2015, @11:11AM
There was a scandal surrounding Emperor Nero [wikipedia.org], which as I understand it, was not because he had a homosexual relationship but that he played the part of the wife. Apparently it was OK to have sex with your male slaves as long as you were on top.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by naubol on Saturday January 17 2015, @03:51PM
Nero is deep into the empire, well after the Roman republic.
Also, sample of one.
(Score: 2) by ikanreed on Tuesday January 20 2015, @02:02PM
Holy Christ are you in denial about this..
No. Shut up and read up on homosexuality in ancient rome. It's complex and nuanced, but it sure-as-hell existed centuries before their fall, and sure-as-hell was tacitly approved of.