My parents would've been jailed for so many things, had the law then been what it is now

Texas woman persecuted for letting kid play outside alone

We played outside alone for a lot longer than that, when younger, my brother and sister and I.

We rode in Mom's lap in the front (bench) seat of a car, and rode in the back (bench) seat with no seat belt when still quite small.

We were left alone in the car in summer while our parents did errands.

And, oh, there was the occasional spanking or slap, you know.

Older kids could personally own .22s or shotguns, and took them to school in the morning, dropping them off during the day in the principal's office, so they could go hunting straight from school.

Ads for firearms were printed on comic book covers and you could order them through the mail.

BB guns, too; but I mean actual firearms like rifles, shotguns, and handguns.

The past is another country, sure.

But now my past is another country.