School Shooting They Didn't Cover

[Corwin]

I don't know, when I was in 8th grade I understand the consequences of an action like that, that would be why I didn't go kill someone, and if I had, I wouldn't have been suprised in the least to be tried as an adult, and I"m sure the parents of the injured or dead children feel that he should be tried as an adult too, the only ppl directly involved that don't think that way are the kids parent's b/c they don't want to believe that they failed to make their child understand the realities of a situation like this by the time he got that old, but when you get down to it, one of the major problems facing this country is trying to decide where that line should be, at what age is it ok to try them as an adult in the case of certain criminal acts, should the line be age based, or should it be based on mental faculties, there's a chance a mentally disabled person of 25 would not understand his actions but that a 10yr old genius who is in his freshman year of high school would, so how do you decide which one you should charge which way, if we go by an age standard alone we are asking for trouble in the future, but if we go through psychological analysis then we're going to have scammers, and expert witnesses paid off to swing their vote or trying to push their own views, rather than having these things become less of an issue as we supposedly become more advanced, more civilized, we've actually come up w/ more and harder problems to deal w/

[leerock89]

depends on the parents and society.

[Crymson]

If you cant drink, smoke, or vote then why should you be able to be tried as an adult. You can be tried as an adult because you are an adult, not because you did an adult thing. If someone isn't responsible enough to be given alcohol, a car, or a vote, how can they be responsible enough to face an adult's punishment?

[Corwin]

you say that, but let's face it, what age do most kids start smoking, drinking, having sex, even driving at these days, there's a good chance any underage joyriding is in a stolen car to boot, so why shouldn't they be tried as an adult, they understand that these these are wrong at least to enough of a degree that they know to keep it hidden from police, parents, teachers, and other adults

[Crymson]

Because they aren't adults. You wouldn't put a dog on trial for murder, even if it did kill someone. Why? Because a dog is not a person. You wouldn't charge a 2 year old for murder, even if they did shoot someone intentionally (other than the fact you could never prove it) because they don't qualify even as a juvenile. trying these kids as adults means that it will be on their record for life that they killed someone as an adult. and we all make mistakes (drinking, smoking, having sex without protection, etc.) That's part of growing up. But part of growing up is also being able to say: "Yea, I got so smashed so bad I couldn't even stand once. when I was 16." And everyone says, "oh, when he was 16."

[Corwin]

actually the will and have put dogs on trial for murder, that's how they get put down, and yes I see what ur saying but just b/c you are young doesn't mean you should be able to escape the most extreme effects of your actions, if some 15yr old gangsta wannabe came up in broad daylight and shot your parents, or your sibling, or your girlfriend/fiance/wife, how would you feel about it, chances are the lifestyle and the actions have been romanticized for him, thinking he's going to get respect and women by doing something like that, but he knows exactly what he was doing and what it meant, now are you saying you wouldn't want to try him as an adult just b/c he's 15, if it was accidental I could understand, but w/ full knowledge of the consequences of his actions and the mental capacity to understand it, that's usually what they use to determine if they should try someone as a minor or an adult

[Crymson]

Even if they shot me I would want them tried as a minor. I know that if I were a minor and got busted for something I would want to be tried as a minor.

[tangaloor5]

The real question is, even if the 14 year old is tried as an adult would prison actually accomplish anything? It may scare the person, but it wouldn't get to the root of the problem that actually caused them to kill people.

[Crymson]

True. as I said before. We should be proactive, not reactive.

[Corwin]

I didn't say shot you Crymson b/c you would likely still want to be lenient w/ them, but if they shot a loved one like your mom or dad, your emotional response would likely be different