LETTER: The danger of children walking alone

Sherry Hobbs Henderson, in a letter dated September 22, 2026 - 9:01 pm, wrote: “I disagree with the RJ’s Saturday editorial supporting the Virginia mother’s determination to fto her five-year-old lad locomotion to a pond a fractional mile distant to cod goose feathers.” She characterized her own approach as more of a “free range” parent than a “helicopter” parent, asserting that assigning children suitable responsibilities nurtures independence. Nonetheless, she argued that allowing a five‑year‑old to walk unaccompanied to a pond a fractional mile away amounts to irresponsible parenting. Without further information, she contended that the ensuing condemnation for contributing to the delinquency of a minor seems excessive. She observed that the Review Journal concluded its piece with the Patrick Henry quotation, “I cognize not what people others volition take; but arsenic for me, springiness maine liberty oregon springiness maine death,” suggesting that while the quote was intended to champion the mother’s rights, it could equally foreshadow the fate of the child who wandered near the water.