It’s been a few years since I’ve had to write about lemonade stands and how sweet children looking to make a few bucks have run afoul of the law, but recent news reports show that we’ve somehow lost the ability to let kids be kids. However, there is a nice twist this time around.

One of my local television stations ran a story from its parent company about police being called to a neighborhood in Kansas City, Kansas, when someone dialed 911 about a pair of brothers running a lemonade stand. Apparently, the boys, named Parez and Jakkhi Reese, have been selling lemonade, along with snacks and Kool-Aid, for years in the neighborhood without incident.

Before I share the twist, let me make it clear that anyone who dials an emergency number to report children selling lemonade has a screw loose—check that, a few screws loose. The 911 lines are for reporting dangerous crimes, accidents or anything where someone has been hurt or killed. Unless these boys found a way to really screw up lemonade and poisoned someone, this does not qualify for a 911 call.

The police officers came on the scene, but instead of shutting the stand down, one of the officers bought some lemonade and then proceeded to call dozens of her colleagues, along with some firefighters, and within 30 minutes, the Reese brothers made $280. The officer who called in the cavalry returned the next day and spent another $40.

The news folks interviewed the boys, who said they were thinking about using the money to help the homeless and maybe purchase a new e-bike. Jakkhi said he was looking at spending his half of the proceeds to purchase diapers for his nephew and niece.

This was a very heartwarming story, and I loved how the officer on the scene basically made the statement to the person who called 911: Karen, eat my shorts. I fully intended to dedicate this whole piece to how things seem to be improving when it comes to lemonade stands in communities.

Then I made the mistake of reading the comments for the story. Most of them were, like me, outraged that someone would call the police on good children figuring out how to make some pocket change. However, one comment showed that not all interactions between police officers and lemonade entrepreneurs have such a happy ending.

The commenter said a friend’s daughter had the police called to her lemonade stand, but instead of celebrating young children making a living, they confiscated the stand, fined the girl, poured out her lemonade, took all the stuff to make it and seized all her money. The matter was taken to court, where the child and her family lost.

It’s been a rough few years for children who get the urge to operate a lemonade stand. For every heartwarming story where the lemonade stand is left alone to do its thing, there’s another where police officers turn into the lemonade gestapo.

Lemonade stands have a long and proud history, I’ve come to discover. They first started appearing in New York City in the 19^th century, with the first known indication in 1839 at a ladies fair hosted by a saloon. They became more widespread in the late 1870s, often operated by shopkeepers.

It was the early 20^th century when children got in on the act. At the time, child labor in factories was being abolished, and school attendance was becoming mandatory, so there were opportunities for children to learn simple business practices during summer months. Even back then, some children sold lemonade for charity.

Selling lemonade has early roots in Europe. Lemonade vending started in the 17^th century in Paris, where the drink was carbonated with a mixture of lemon juice and honey. Vendors would strap tanks of lemonade to their backs and serve the beverage during hot summer days, along with public health outbreaks. By 1676, limonadiers formalized the trade by getting royal privileges to serve lemonade.

Today, some people consider it to be a crime. It’s a disturbing trend in a country that’s about to celebrate 250 years of freedom. If the only thing that scares people is the thought that children can figure out how to make money better than some adults, your priorities are messed up.

It’s summertime, so let’s just kick back and enjoy some lemonade. If you see children operating a neighborhood stand, don’t call 911. Stop and buy a glass or two. Given the price of most beverages today, lemonade is still quite the bargain.