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My granddaughter Maddie has been pestering her parents lately for a cell phone.

Maddie is eight years old, a third-grader. She has her own laptop and email account, both of which she uses freely, but under close supervision. She also has access to an iPad, an iPod Touch, and the cell phones of most of her relatives.

Last month, she borrowed my Kindle. I’ll probably get it back loaded with new ebooks — Harry Potter, Nancy Drew, and who knows what.

Maddie, then, has plenty of electronic toys. It stands to reason that she would want a cell phone.

But she doesn’t need a cell phone. More importantly, her parents have said no, she is too young.

In her lobbying efforts, she focuses primarily on her dad, thinking he might be an easier mark. Some days he is, some days he isn’t.

Last weekend, Maddie brought up the subject anew.

“Dad, WHY can’t I have a cell phone?”

“Because it’s illegal for eight-year-olds to have cell phones,” Dustin told her with a straight face. He later said he was partly pulling her leg and partly trying to avoid the subject.

“The law is the law,” he said. “Our elected representatives make society’s rules. If we disagree, we have to take it up with them.”

Dustin probably framed his answer that way because Maddie’s class, as a tie-in to the November elections, is studying civics. In fact, as an example of how the system works, Maddie is running against some other kid for class president.

Maddie asked Dustin who, specifically, a person would contact if they disagreed with a given law.

Perhaps you can see where this is going.

“Well,” Dustin replied, “Our district representative in the Georgia House of Representatives is Tommy Benton.”

Maddie nodded and went upstairs to her room.

She returned a short time later carrying her laptop. She had run a Google search and located Representative Benton’s website. She asked Dustin to help her find Benton’s email address.

Dustin was busted. He fessed up and explained that he had been, as Maddie often describes it, joking on her.

“Maddie, I was just kidding,” he said. “There’s no law against kids having cell phones. I’m sorry I said that. I apologize.”

With the need to contact Benton defused, Dustin showed her the location of the email address under the “Contact Me” field.

Maddie knows her father well, including his tendency to tease her. She accepted this turn of events agreeably and went back upstairs to her room.

Now I’m sure you know where this is going.

The next morning, Dustin settled in to check his email. He also checked Maddie’s inbox, which he monitors.

He found this message:

—————

From: “Benton, Tommy”
Subject: RE: Inquiry from the Tommy Benton Website
Date: November 11, 2012 9:53:14 PM EST
To: “Maddie Smith”

Maddie,

That is a great question. You are a pretty smart little girl to think of this question.

If everyone knew how to act or behave correctly then we would not need laws. Also your freedoms extend only until they infringe on someone else’s. For example: You have the right of freedom of speech, but you can’t go into a crowded room and yell FIRE.

When you start driving, you will have the freedom to drive on the roads, but you can’t drive on the wrong side or speed because you would infringe on someone’s else’s privilege to drive on that same road.

Safety is a big concern. Most laws are made for a small number of people just like rules at school.

Laws for people are just like rules you have at your house. They are for everyone so that each and every person knows what is expected.

Tommy Benton
Chairman, Human Relations and Aging Committee
Georgia House of Representatives
District 31

—————

The “great question” to which Benton had replied was this:

—————

From: Maddie Smith
Sent: Sun 11/11/2012 8:41 PM
To: Benton, Tommy
Subject: Inquiry from the Tommy Benton Website

Hi, my name is Maddie Smith, and I am 8 years old. I have a question for you. If it is a free country, then why do we have laws?

Thanks,

[Two smily-face graphics inserted]

—————

I note that Benton sent his reply a mere 12 minutes after receiving Maddie’s email. Most impressive.

So was the question.

That’s my girl!