okay, you know what? Running away shouldnât be a crime. It shouldnât be dangerous, either. Any kid should be able to leave their parents if they want, for any reason. No Iâm not kidding.
âBut Rue, where will these kids stay? Do you want them on the streets?â
of course not. In an ideal world, a kids would have multiple adults other than their parents they could look to for care, but I recognize that that will never be a reality for every single child. So: youth shelters, if they have nowhere else to go. There should be clean, warm shelters where anyone under 18 can stay for as long as they need, no questions asked. (And of course shelters that arenât just for kids, but weâre talking about youth rights right now)
âBut Rue,â I hear you say, âwhat if some moody teenager runs away after an argument?â
First of all, Iâd rather a thousand moody teenagers run away than one abused child be trapped. Second, so what if one does? A kid needs time away from their parents, so they leave. The vast majority of them will get some time to cool down and then go back home, and if they donât want to go back, period? Then nine times out of ten, they have a good reason. (Because yes, as hard as it is for you to believe, kids are humans who have common sense.)
âOkay, but what about the one time out of ten the kid doesnât have a good reason?â
Then the kid doesnât have a good reason. It doesnât change anything. If someone wants to break up with their partner because of something stupid, you wouldnât say they legally shouldnât be able to. (And if you would, then youâre just a bad person.) No one should have to be in a relationship, romantic or otherwise, that they donât want to be in.
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