Four Wake teenagers charged with murder (Apex: live, children, offer)

[CandLplus2]

Originally Posted by sandycat

That's great and all, but there are drugs out there that would never show up on a drug test.

I agree there will be kids that will find ways to beat the drug tests. However, I believe the tests would be very effective in stopping those kids they may be on the fence. Or, the ones that may be facing peer pressure.

It comes down to priorities. Are the sports or other activity more important than trying the drugs? If it would prevent half the kids from trying them maybe it would be worth it.

[roscomac]

Evidence indicates that kids are not more violent. It is our perception that has changed - primarily based on the way news is covered now.

[AutumnOrange3]

Originally Posted by roscomac

Evidence indicates that kids are not more violent. It is our perception that has changed - primarily based on the way news is covered now.

Does anyone else agree with this? I think they are more violent indeed.

[scorp200]

Originally Posted by uncletupelo

innocent until proven guilty is for the courts not the court of public opinion. there are some cases(not saying this one) that there is no need for me to assume innocence when the perp is guilty. OJ comes to mind.

That's exactly right. I don't know why people always get confused about that. The phrase exists for the courts. People can have all of the opinions they want outside of the jury box.

(sorry, that's one of my language pet peeves! )

Anyway this is so disturbing to me, my nephew is disabled and in public school, and I worry about how other kids will treat him (so far so good but he's 5)

[CarolinaCowboy]

So sad, so sad, so sad everyone says. I'm thinking for for vicitim, then relize you're all cryin about the murdering basstards! Please people! These "kids" as you call them are nothing more then worthless Punks, scum, and have no place in our society. They laughed and smirked during their arraignment. Do you really think they care? Why should you? Lock them up and throw away the key and forget about them. This is all they deserve.

[WordWrangler]

I don't think kids are more violent than they used to be; I think the violence is more open and "accepted" than it used to be. Whether that can be ascribed to violent, mind-numbing video games and movies and what-not or perhaps ascribed to non-involved parents or even the horrifying "liberal" media, kids of that age have simply not attained the level of empathy adults will attain. Combine that with the 24 hour news networks who must always find the stories and it just seems more and more prevalent.

But that said, I agree with the last poster who said lock them up and throw away the key. I don't care how old they are -- if they do this type of crime now, a further degree of empathy isn't going to be a fat lot of good later on.

[CrysD724]

Please, don't blame violent video games! I love LOVE LOVE! first person shooters and grew up on them, as did my boyfriend and MANY of my friends (yes I'm a gamer nerd!) and we played them all through out most of middle school, high school, and college. I also highly enjoy horror/slasher films (even if I have to close my eyes at the violent parts on occasion!) Do you understand just how popular these types of games are? If they were truly the cause, wouldn't there be even more problems? And shows as well as other games, have been way violent for many decades before the last couple.

However, I am a mentor for students! Not violent! In fact, I'm working to help prevent these kind of instances! My dream in life is to create a mentoring program to help these kind of students find the support they need, and are so often not given. None of my friends are violent and many are teachers! There are so many factors and ALL stories like this that no one but the students themselves truly know about. Honestly, I think treating these individuals like "monsters" where you should throw away the key is part of the problem as to why they are so violent. But that's personal opinion. It's a horrible story and yes, I do feel pity for the suspects not because I don't think they're deserving of punishment, but because as I said before - no one knows the circumstances completely, the reasoning. It is all just assumption. Murder is a horrible thing, but in my opinion people aren't just born murderers, there's often extensive reasons as to how they became that destructive and that is something only psychologists that study them will understand, again in my opinion.

Murderers or not, they are still someone's daughter, sons, grandchildren, sister, brother, friend, etc. They are still someone's lost hopes and lost dreams. Imagine if this was your child? It is traumatizing for all people involved, those of the victim and the suspects.

[WordWrangler]

Look, I love the slasher films, too. we have a closet full of Japanese horror. Also, all kids play video games. Sure. MINE doesn't usually because we don't have a system, but regardless. That's why I'm saying, blame it on whatever you want because who knows why some people do what they do? All we do know is that kids don't yet have enough empathy and that is all the more visible today. How often can you find videos of fights on YouTube showing horrible violence while large crowds of teens stand around and watch, and laugh? They are everywhere. So again, I don't care what you blame it on... I certainly don't know what would cause someone to act in that manner. What I can imagine is the parents of the victim, the parents of the accused. The absolute horror of it all. But it is mighty hard to conjure anything but contempt and disgust for the accused.

[Francois]

Prayers also go out to the Dahlquist, Hare, Khan and Shaw families. This is truly horrible news.

Sorry, but while yes, there is an occasional "bad seed" who comes from a good, caring family, most of the time when kids are like this, it's because of what their parents did--ironically at opposite ends of the spectrum of either abuse or over-coddling. MOST kids raised with consistent, solid values (I'm not talking religion here, but the Golden rule) who are allowed to fail in life and learn lessons, will not find themselves perps in any kind of crime, let alone murder.

I suspect these families aren't exactly the Brady Bunch, in other words.

OTOH, my heart breaks for the family of the victim, who surely had already had such a greater load to carry in this world.

On top of all of this, the NC Legislature actually had a chance to pass a stricter anti-bullying bill last year, and did not, because of so many legislators absent from the vote.

[findingmesomeday]

Originally Posted by Francois

Sorry, but while yes, there is an occasional "bad seed" who comes from a good, caring family, most of the time when kids are like this, it's because of what their parents did--ironically at opposite ends of the spectrum of either abuse or over-coddling. MOST kids raised with consistent, solid values (I'm not talking religion here, but the Golden rule) who are allowed to fail in life and learn lessons, will not find themselves perps in any kind of crime, let alone murder.

I suspect these families aren't exactly the Brady Bunch, in other words.

OTOH, my heart breaks for the family of the victim, who surely had already had such a greater load to carry in this world.

On top of all of this, the NC Legislature actually had a chance to pass a stricter anti-bullying bill last year, and did not, because of so many legislators absent from the vote.

I completely agree. When the families of the Columbine shooters were questioned, there were some red flags there with regard to moral values, etc.

Kids make mistakes. It's part of being kids. But "making a mistake" at that age with a kid who is grounded in good moral values is more along the lines of alcohol abuse--(also a bad outcome if drinking/driving is involved), NOT horrific murder. There's something missing in these four kids and I'm betting you don't have to look too far into the family to figure out how they got that way. Someone raised with a good moral base of values would NOT have been involved in this type of thing.