So, there's this cop parked across the street waiting to find out whether to arrest us

[PaulConventionWV]

My 7yo and her 6yo friend decided to take a walk to the shopping center through the woods in back of our house.
A concerned citizen called it in and kept them from leaving.
They got a ride home in a cruiser.

Now some fucking kid in a uniform is waiting for the Commonwealth Attorney to call him back (apparently he was instructed to PAGE the on-call attorney. Who the fuck pages anyone in 2014?)

Some older cop was here for a while consoling us with the fact that he may not wish to press charges.
Both cops agreed that they were never in any danger but gave us significant grief about not knowing the code of Virginia on this matter - apparently at 9 kids are magically able to be out by themselves. Before that they can't be unsupervised, even for a second.

(We've been spending the last hour discussing all the things she can't do for another two years now... going to a different aisle in the grocery to pick something up? UNSUPERVISED. Going over a hillside at the park with a gaggle of other kids? UNSUPERVISED.)

They handed us cards produced by Department of Social Services showing the legal ages for being unsupervised. I pointed out to both cops that this code they think we should know back and forth isn't printed on those cards. I don't think either of them processed what I said.

The good news is that CPS isn't getting involved today. Though we are getting a phone call follow-up. And we're in their system now... both cops pointed out that since this was the first time they're talking to us it should blow over. But what I heard, of course, is that the second time it's not going to go away....

....so young cop just showed up and said the commonwealth attorney wanted to press felony child neglect charges.
The cop called the magistrate and the magistrate said she wouldn't sign for that.
So the cop is going to press for misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

We're actually being criminally charged because our daughters chose to go on a walk to a place they've been several times before.

RPF, I am looking for a new state to live in.

New state? How about a new country??

 

[Working Poor]

(((((fishamore&family))))) stay safe and do what is best for you.

 

[PaulConventionWV]

I seriously, and I mean SERIOUSLY recommend you sanitize ALL you electronic data devices - phones, tablets, laptops, servers, and so forth. Make sure everything is on a pass-phrase. Note, I did not say password. Change your passwords to a longish phrase such as "copsarethemostdangerouspeopleintheworld". A well chosen passphrase of at least 30 or 40 characters in length will keep them out effectively. If they decide to go snooping and discover shit like RPF, you stand at least an even chance of running lips-first into a shitstorm nobody needs.

If you don't want to go through the hassle, then at least get them out of the house with family or friends.

The line has been drawn and they are looking for blood. Do not make things easier for them. Make them impossible. I would very seriously consider taking them out of state to grandparents or trusted friends. They would be welcome at our home - and I make this offer seriously. They will be safe, sound, occupied, and very well fed. I would so very much hate to see those lunatic bastards decide to take your children. After some of the cases I've seen across this land, I put no criminal depravity beyond Theire will.

You be careful, good luck, and let me know if I can be of service.

Preferably, passwords OR passphrases should be something that doesn't make sense, such as Gtf53!QfxM234. If you use actual words or phrases, then computer algorithms can decipher it in seconds. Computers can guess thousands of passwords a second, but they won't be able to decipher phrases like the one above because they are literally devoid of human meaning so they don't fit any of the usual patterns.

 

[Christian Liberty]

Wow... this whole story is sad. I'm sorry for you, will be praying. I know that's not much comfort, and understandably not, but its what I've got...

I live in NoVa currrently as well, got here back in August. I feel reasonably confident that its better than NYS But that doesn't mean its good.

 

[Cleaner44]

Police in Alexandria, VA were recently handing out flyers to local businesses vilifying gun owners and feeding misinformation about state laws.
One of those pieces of misinformation is the idea that we can't legally OC in government buildings.
The Virginia Citizens Defense League is organizing as many openly carrying people as possible to attend a Saturday morning meeting in the Alexandria government building, to prove that the cops are full of shit particularly on the government building point, but also to speak during open comment on the rest of the flyers' lies.

Virginia is shitty. But it's the Rand Paul of US states.
I don't particularly like it. But show me a better alternative.
Everything else is at best equivalent, probably worse, or else in another country.

Legally, we're ok, except that if we ever have to talk to CPS again they're going to know they've been to our house before, and I don't know a lawyer who is willing to shove them around. The one I thought was good was content with the fact that we wouldn't get in trouble with them unless we made trouble. And that's what happened - we squeaked through.

Enforcement wise, we live like everyone else now, afraid that predators are going to snatch our children in their car if we let them wander too far - only in our case, it's not an unfounded fear, because that's precisely what happened.

My point is more that the only way to escape the entire situation is to emigrate out of the US entirely.
I can come up with CPS nightmares or cops beating up/ murdering people in every state in the union.
Some states are better than others. And of the better states, I have yet to find better than Virginia.
Equivalent, perhaps, but not better.

What weighs heaviest on me is that I grew up barely knowing any family outside my immediate. I wasn't close to my grandparents (two of them were dead before I was even born) and I have cousins I've never met, and uncles and aunts that are probably dead, but I'll never know.

But MY kids have 3 grandparents within 10 minutes. And an uncle, aunt, and cousins within 30 minutes. And lots of friends who are children of friends of mine going back 30 years.

If I move out of the state, then there's a chance to get to know other family better (provided I want to live in a place like Indiana, which, forgive me all you Hoosiers, appeals to me about as much as jock itch) but I'd only be making a lateral move.

I do think the situation - legal situation, that is - is better in places outside the US jurisdiction, but if the point is to better protect my kids, then I have to balance that by the fact that I'd be destroying their current lives in the process. It seems counterproductive.

A better alternative is any state where you don't have this history with the local government.

Out of those 49, there are varying degrees of better.

I can only tell you about AZ. Here we have a state of people that open carry without fear.

 

[PaulConventionWV]

A better alternative is any state where you don't have this history with the local government.

Out of those 49, there are varying degrees of better.

I can only tell you about AZ. Here we have a state of people that open carry without fear.

It seems he didn't have that history with his current state, and yet it still happened.

The truth is that this happens in every state. While you can probably get away with it in a more rural setting (Virginia's a pretty good place for that), other countries simply don't have the welfare state and safety structure that we do. Even China, which is considered quite fascist, does not have a police state like we do.

Fisharmor is right, the only way to escape this is to emigrate out of the US. There are many great options out there if you are willing to take the leap. That's what I'm doing. This can be harder for married people with families, but it's not impossible by any means.

 

[Cleaner44]

It seems he didn't have that history with his current state, and yet it still happened.

The truth is that this happens in every state. While you can probably get away with it in a more rural setting (Virginia's a pretty good place for that), other countries simply don't have the welfare state and safety structure that we do. Even China, which is considered quite fascist, does not have a police state like we do.

Fisharmor is right, the only way to escape this is to emigrate out of the US. There are many great options out there if you are willing to take the leap. That's what I'm doing. This can be harder for married people with families, but it's not impossible by any means.

You are missing my point. Of course this can happen in any state. It has now happened to him once in VA. A 2nd incident in VA will be much worse than a 1st incident in AZ or anywhere else.

I would want a clean slate. I would not want to live in a state where I already have 1 strike. Turn the page and get a new start.

VA is home to BIG GOVT. I would seek out a small government alternative.

 

[PaulConventionWV]

You are missing my point. Of course this can happen in any state. It has now happened to him once in VA. A 2nd incident in VA will be much worse than a 1st incident in AZ or anywhere else.

I would want a clean slate. I would not want to live in a state where I already have 1 strike. Turn the page and get a new start.

VA is home to BIG GOVT. I would seek out a small government alternative.

I see your point and I agree that that is a better option than just staying put, but there are better options still. I'm not trying to sell anyone on anything, just throwing it out there as a suggestion. If you're worried about your kids, I think staying in the country in general is a worse idea than not staying in the country.

I also agree on your assessment of VA. I've been there and it is as you say.

 

[Christian Liberty]

Even China, which is considered quite fascist, does not have a police state like we do.

You sure? Have you seen this?:


http://www.falunhr.org/reports/2005/torture.pdf

Mind, the US apparently does the same thing now. Not defending the US at all. Actually, I'm even more cynical than normal right this moment.