[artpepper]

> parents are so awful at it

That's a really sweeping statement. In reference to this particular article, there may be a lot of reasons why fewer American children travel to school by themselves, including geography and transportation options.

[joesmo]

That's pretty irrelevant. I base my assessment of the horrific parenting in this country on our poor and still falling educational achievements and the censorship houses our universities have turned into. I understand that the law enforces such poor parenting practices by throwing parents in jail, placing children in foster care, etc., but that's still no excuse.