24 July 2026, Freewriters Community Daily Writing Prompt Day 3174: acquit me!
“OK, so, Dad, we worked hard to get rights in this country, so, the next time that you think of grounding me, I need a fair trial with a jury of my peers, because there's all kinds of evidence that could acquit me!”
Sgt. Vincent Trent listened and then smiled kindly at his nine-year-old younger son, Milton.
“Have you and George been co-grounding and going through his books on the Bill of Rights?”
“Yeah, because he's going to be a lawyer and all, and there's good stuff in the Bill of Rights!”
“And yes, Milton, we did work hard for the country to see we were entitled to these rights, too, so I kind of see your point.”
“Well, of course you do, because you are a good dad!”
“So, let's talk about the evidence, Milton, for the next time you are going to be grounded.”
18-year-old Vanna Trent just walked away from hearing this conversation shaking her head.
“Dad's about to get Milton to confess everything Milton and George are thinking about doing so that he and Capt. Ludlow can jump all over those two even faster.”
“I remember how old I was when I realized Dad is a heck of a lot smarter than I am,” 21-year-old Melvin said. “But Milton is still in his tender years, and it would be an Eighth Amendment type of problem to not let him grow into the realization on his own.”
“You think it would be cruel and unusual to run in there and tell him the Fifth Amendment means he doesn't have to do all the confessing he is about to be doing?” Vanna said as she cracked up laughing.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, and among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” Melvin said. “That is, Milton and George need to be happy and figure some some stuff out so that later they have life and liberty, and one of those things is to just meet boundaries and get an understanding. No one out there is going to protect them or show them.”
“This is true – the world is very, very cold to young men, and although George is white and will have some advantages, it's still a hard time to be young in America,” Vanna said. “We can't even go be with our friends, and that's going to be a problem going for years.”
“Yeah, because grow up time is something we can never get back,” Melvin said. “Thank God the Ludlows and the Lees and all our grandparents have decided to be one big Covid bubble with us … and you're a great sister to have at a time like this!”
“Yeah, and I have a great big brother,” Vanna said, and they embraced.