That article is incredible and I'm sorry I never saw it before. I TEACH armed self defense, and many of those points are made in my classes over and over again, but this is the best I've ever seen it expressed. I'll print this one out for students, to be sure.

And as for my dilemma, it isn't just about "rights." It's about responsibility and doing what is RIGHT. We too easily forget that true rights can't exist without responsibility.

So, forget the word "rights" for now. I need to concentrate on discovering what my responsibility is, to whom, and what I can ethically, morally and legally do to help this child - if anything. I may, and then again I may not reach a truly satisfactory answer or conclusion, but the very exercise in trying to do so can't help but make me grow and learn.

Maybe I'll get the courage to simply ask her what she thinks about it, and what she wants. She's a very bright girl, and I'll bet she knows the answer already.