STEVE: WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE.
MY NEXT GUEST MADE THE DECISION
AN APARTMENT WITH A BUS CARD AND
MONEY TRUSTING HE WOULD FIND HIS
OWN WAY HOME.
AFTER PUBLISHING HER STORY SHE
WAS HAILED AS A MOM THAT GAVE
HER KID INDEPENDENCE.
SHE WAS LABELED AS AMERICAS
WORSE MOM.
NOW THIS IS THE BASES OF A UTAH
LAW.
THIS WILL ALLOW STUDENTS TO
WALK, RUN, BIKE TO AND FROM
SCHOOL, PLAY OUTSIDE AND STAY
HOME UNATTENDED.
STATE WELFARE OFFICERS CAN NO
LONGER TAKE CHILDREN AWAY FROM
THEIR PARENTS IF THEY ARE CAUGHT
DOING SUCH ACTIVITIES AS LONG AS
THEY ARE CLOTHED, FED, AND CARED
FOR.
THIS IS THE FOUNDER OF FREE
RANGE KIDS.
I'M SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU.
>> WHAT ARE YOU FIGHTING
AGAINST.
FROM WHAT THAT SEE, EAT AND DO.
SOMEHOW WE HAVE COME TO BELIEVE
IF A KID IS WALKING DOWN THE
STREET IT'S ENSLAVING THE KID
AND MOM.
>> YOU KISSCRIBE A BIG CHANGE IN
THE CULTURE.
HAVE THERE BEEN THINGS THAT THE
GOVERNMENT OR LAW -- LIKE
OFFICIAL WAYS THAT THE PROBLEM
HAS BEEN MADE WORSE.
>> YES, IF THE ASSUMPTION THAT A
CHILD ISN'T WITH AN ADULT THEY
ARE IN DANGER THAT MEANS ANYONE
THAT ALLOWS THE CHILD TO WALK
HOME.
I WALKED HOME AT AGE 5 AND MY
MOM WASN'T ARRESTED.
YOU GO AND ARREST THE MOM A
MOTHER LET HER KID STAY IN THE
CAR FOR A FEW MINUTES BECAUSE
SHE WENT IN THE GROCERY STORE.
WHEN THEY BELIEVE A CHILD IS
ENDAMAGERRED THEY ARE ALLOWED TO
INVESTIGATE THE PARENTS AND
ARREST THE PARENTS WE HEARD
ABOUT THE 10-YEAR-OLD AND
6-YEAR-OLD, 10 YEARS OLD WAS THE
AGE OF MY CROSSING GUARD.
THEY WEREN'T ALLOWED TO WALK
HOME FROM THE LOCAL PARK IN
SILVER SPRING.
THERE IS THE CASE OF A WORKING
SINGLE MOM.
STEVE: OH, YES.
TERRIBLE STORY.
>> YEAH, IT WAS A TERRIBLE
STORY.
HER DAUGHTER WAS WITH HER
EVERYDAY.
SHE WORKED ALL OF THE TIME.
THE KID WAS OFF DURING THE
SUMMER.
SHE WOULD SIT AT MCDONALD'S
WHILE HER MOM WORKED A SHIFT.
HER COMPUTER WAS STOLEN AND
ASKED HER MOM HOW ABOUT I GO TO
THE SPINKLER PARK.
IT'S BOILING HOT, IT'S SOUTH
CAROLINA.
HER MOM SAID TAKE A PHONE.
IF YOU NEED ME, CALL.
THE THIRD DAY IN A ROW A WOMAN
SAID WHERE'S YOUR MOM.
SHE SAID MY MOM IS WORKING.
NOT ONLY WAS SHE ARRESTED AND
SPENT THE NIGHT IN JAIL.
HER CHILD WAS TAKEN AWAY FOR 17
DAYS FOR ENDANGERMENT.
IT'S NOT ENDANGERMENT TO SAY MY
KID IS OKAY TO PLAY IN THE PARK.
YOU CAN'T ALLOW THE GOVERNMENT
TO ALLOW PARENTS TO MAKE SAFE
DECISIONS.
STEVE: ABSOLUTELY, RIGHT.
I PUT MY CARDS ON THE TABLE.
I THINK YOU MIGHT JUST AGREE
WITH THIS.
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK?
>> I AGREE WITH EVERY BIT OF IT.
IF I WERE TO LIST THE PROBLEMS
WE HAVE IN SOCIETY TODAY IT'S A
LACK OF INDEPENDENCE AND
RESPONSIBILITY.
NOT JUST CHILDREN BUT WHEN YOU
GET TO COLLEGE AGE KIDS.
YOU DON'T GET THERE UNTIL YOU
GIVE KIDS INDEPENDENCE.
IS IT A RISK.
YOU WILL NEVER GROW UP THAT WAY.
ONE THING -- BEYOND JUST
CHILDREN.
I'M AMAZED AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL,
THE DEGREE YOU SEE KIDS.
I READ A STORY A FEW WEEKS AGO
ABOUT THE PENN STATE OUTING CLUB
THAT'S BEEN SPONSORING OUTDOOR
EVENTS.
THEY SHUT IT DOWN BECAUSE GOING
OUTSIDE IS TOO DANGEROUS.
STEVE: I KNOW.
AN AMAZINGS STORY.
I WANT TO GET TEZLYN.
>> I'M THE MOTHER OF A
10-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER.
I BELIEVE PEOPLE SHOULD BE
ALLOWED TO RAISE CHILDREN THE
WAY THEY WANT TO.
LIKE THE SPANKING ISSUE.
I WAS A LATCHKEY KID.
MY MOTHER WASN'T ON WELFARE.
WHEN I CAME HOME I WASN'T BY
MYSELF.
I LOCKED IF DOOR AND STAYED IN
THE HOUSE.
I'M NOT A FAN OF HAVING MY CHILD
IN PUBLIC PLACES BY MYSELF.
I'VE HAD THINGS HAPPEN TO ME AS
A CHILD AT 10 YEARS OLD.
I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT AN
ABDUCTION.
WHEN I LOOK AT PEDOPHILES AND
INAPPROPRIATE SITUATIONS THAT
HAPPENED WITH ME AS A CHILD
THAT'S WHAT I LOOK AT WHEN I
SEND MY LITTLE GIRL INTO THE
WORLD AND PUBLIC PLACE.
I BELIEVE EACH PARENTS HAS THE
RIGHT WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD DECIDE
WHAT'S ENDANGERMENT LIKE
CLOTHING OR STRUCTURE.
I WOULDN'T SEND MY CHILD ON THE
SUBWAY AND SEE IF YOU COULD GET
BACK AND HAVE TWO QUARTERS FOR A
NONEXISTENT PAY PHONE.
>> I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE UP TO
THE PARENT.
LENORE, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT
THE LAW PASSED IN UTAH.
TELL US THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
THAT?
>> IT'S THE FREE PARENTING LAW.
THERE IS NO CAUSE FOR THE
GOVERNMENT TO GET INVOLVED IF A
CHILD -- IF THE PARENTS ARE NOT
DISREGARDING THEIR CHILD'S
SAFETY AND WELFARE.
IF THE KID IS WALKING TO SCHOOL
AND PLAYING OUTSIDE AND THEY GET
A 911 CALL WHETHER IT'S CHILD
PROTECTIVE SERVICES THEY WILL
SAY IF THE CHILD OKAY, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO PROCEED.
THAT'S GREAT, I'M HAPPY CHILD
PROTECTIVE SERVICES EXIST AND
THE COPS ARE OUT THERE.
I WANT THEM TO INVESTIGATE CASES
THEY ARE LEFT IN A HOUSE WITH
DRUGS OR PIMPING OUT THE CHILD.
I THINK IT'S OKAY TO CALL THE
CHILD AND SAY I'LL BE LATE AND
DON'T SET THE PLACE ON FIRE.
WE DON'T ARREST PARENTS FOR
PUTTING THEM IN DANGER WHEN WE
DRIVE THEM.
CHILDREN DIE AS CAR PASSENGERS
MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
WE CAN'T SAY IT'S SO SCARY OUT
THERE AND I'LL ARREST ANY PARENT
THAT ALLOWS THEIR CHILD TO PLAY
OUTSIDE.
>> THANK YOU.
STEVE: QUICK COMMENT FROM BOTH
OF YOU.
I LIKE THAT WE CAN TURN THE
CULTURE AROUND.
>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
LENORE IS RIGHT THE COPS SHOULD
PUT THE PEDOPHILES AWAY.
IF YOU BELIEVE IN
SELF-GOVERNANCE THEN YOU WOULD
HAVE INDEPENDENT THINKING ADULTS
GROWING UP.
>> AS A MOTHER, I TRUST MY
10-YEAR-OLD.
SHE DOES WHAT I TELL HER TO DO.
THERE ARE SOME SITUATIONS I
DON'T WANT TO CHANCE.
I DON'T NEED THE GOVERNMENT
TELLING ME WHAT THE SITUATION
SHOULD OR SHOULDN'T BE.
LENORE THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I'M HAPPY THE PROGRESS IS BEING
MADE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON