The following is a newspaper article by Lenore Skenazy that was originally published in 2008 in the New York Sun and was subsequently reprinted in newspapers throughout the United States. A syndicated columnist and National Public Radio commentator, Skenazy received so much feedback on her article, both positive and negative, that she expanded her ideas into a book titled Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had without Going Nuts with Worry (2010).

First, analyze the rhetorical appeals and strategies Skenazy employs to achieve her purpose in this article. How persuasive do you think her argument is? Second, write your own brief essay arguing whether you believe a nine-year-old in your community should be allowed to travel (on a subway, bus, bicycle) without adult supervision, and if so, to what extent.