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All evidence points to this being incorrect, and that even young adults do not fully understand the ramifications of crimes they commit. At 12, you don't unders
by bsanr2 7y ago
All evidence points to this being incorrect, and that even young adults do not fully understand the ramifications of crimes they commit. At 12, you don't understand what death is, what a lifetime prison sentence entails, or even that stabbing someone might kill them. How could you? You're 12. Have you ever even known someone to die? How can you understand what 60 years in a cell means when you've only seen 12 under your guardians' care? Is your frame of reference for how an assault could lead to death first-hand experience? The evening news? A movie?
No, charging children as adults is heinously cruel.
- jamespo 7y agoI don't disagree with your premise but stating "all evidence" and providing none doesn't help.
- b_tterc_p 7y agoAll of those questions are likely in favor of the child murderer, but not necessarily true. To give a simple example, consider a child who kills someone, gets treated as a child and forgiven, then decides to kill someone else and makes it clear that they intend to keep doing so. Lack of understanding is worth considering but not a good argument for blanket treatment of children.
- asark 7y agoYeah I'm not all-in on charging 12 year olds as adults, but: > At 12, you don't understand what death is, what a lifetime prison sentence entails, or even that stabbing someone might kill them. ... really? > How can you understand what 60 years in a cell means when you've only seen 12 under your guardians' care? Probably seems a lot worse, since a year to a 12 year old feels like at least 5 years to a 30-something. At least this 30-something and former 12-year-old. Summer alone felt about as long as two years do now.
- smush 7y ago> Probably seems a lot worse, since a year to a 12 year old feels like at least 5 years to a 30-something. Reminds me about the old quote about how life is like a roll of toilet paper, the more you use up the faster it goes by.
- asark 7y agoThen: felt like a year between major holidays. Now: feels like about two weeks between major holidays. "Wait, fireworks stands? Wasn't it just Easter?"