How far?

How far should we go to "protect" children?
I'm talking here about those from ages 10-17.
Do we continue to drive them to school, because of possible kidnappers?
Do we allow them to ride their bicycles just on our street?
Do we let them attend "R" rated movies?
Do we give them a curfew, or keep them with us 24/7?

Each parent has to make these and many other decisions.
It "depends".
On the kid, on the situation, on the parent, on the activity.

If your child were in a group that would be helping with a function at a local meeting hall, would you expect that he could participate in the function?
If the "function" involved listening to guitar music, listening to a speaker from the state congressional offices, listening to someone telling about the founding principles of America?
Which part of this does the child need protection from, assuming that his physical safety were guaranteed?

I guess, again, it depends on the kid, the situation, the activity.
Personally, I would think since the youth are the voters of tomorrow, any contact they could have with first-hand information on their state's leaders would be worth the whole evening.

Parents will have to make this a possibility, since the group the kids belong to will not.