Anthony Bradley explains in a Washington Examiner column how the nation’s capital is blocking urban teens from exercising entrepreneurial skills.
On a hot and humid 88-degree summer day in Washington, D.C. in June, three teenagers were handcuffed and detained for selling water.
Yes, water. The teens were not selling drugs, stolen merchandise or bootleg cigarettes. They were selling water on the National Mall.
According to the U.S. Park Police, the teens were handcuffed for illegally vending without a license. They were detained by police but eventually released to their parents without charges. While this might seem like a minor incident, it is one all too frequent example of government taking away opportunities from young entrepreneurs.
These teenagers should have been celebrated for their initiative, not handcuffed. They saw a real human need and took action to meet it. On hot, humid days, people need water. These teens were not exploiting people or taking advantage of the needy; they were being creative problem-solvers. Isn’t that what we want teenagers to aspire to become?
It is reasonable that people should comply with the law, but the question is whether the law reasonable.
