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I find it interesting that most people seem to think those 12 year old girls who stabbed that girl nearly to death are somehow mature enough to be tried as adults and sent to adult prison with adult criminals who will abuse them, yet they feel like a 12 year old is too immature to vote, join the army, have a kid, drink beer, smoke and so on. I don't think keeping someone "out of society" is reason enough to violate the rights of a child no matter how horrible a crime they committed. They're still kids! Did you know America was one of the only countries in the world that refused to sign the UN Rights of the Child law, because of their commitment to trying kids as adults?
Science currently believes our brains don't develop fully until we're about 25. Personally I think that's a bit on the old side but a 12 year old is definitely far from fully mature psychologically.
Personally I think minors should not be allowed to have any of the "adult" privileges and responsibilities until they are 18. But if our society is going to insist on treating them as adults when they commit a crime, why not just consider anyone over the age of 10 or 11 an adult by law? Why not let them drive, run for office, rent an apartment, etc if apparently they are apparently wholly mature and able to understand the consequences of their actions? Why discriminate against them in some cases but not in others?
If we feel OK with putting a kid in jail with adults who will abuse and prey on them because they did something really bad, letting them live on their own or drink beer is pretty much small potatoes. It actually made me really angry reading that thread about those girls and nearly everyone said they should be tried as adults? Where are people's damn principles? Are Americans/people in general nothing but a bunch of self-righteous vindictive angry apes?
I believe there should be a progressive age of maturity. An age to drive, and age to drink, an age for joining the military, and an age for legal decisions and voting.
Age 18 to drive.
Age 20 to join the military
Age 25 to drink
Age 30 for full legal decisions and voting (it has just been published that the brain does not fully mature till age 30)
I want to add on more age.
Age 60 exemption from property taxes, decrease in income taxes, and legalized use of marijuana and some doctor prescribed pain killers.
I was just reading an article yesterday about a family who has sent each of their 6 kids into college at the age of 12. It goes to show, 12 year olds are capable of intelligent, individual thinking.
It actually made me really angry reading that thread about those girls and nearly everyone said they should be tried as adults? Where are people's damn principles? Are Americans/people in general nothing but a bunch of self-righteous vindictive angry apes?
As of now, they are bound and shackled and will be tried as adults in the state of Wisconsin. If convicted could face up to 65 years.
You should go to that state (and many others) and petition to change their state law pertaining to minors committing heinous crimes , OP.
In this country it fits perfectly with finishing high school, which I view as the last youthful milestone. Everything after is all about establishing yourself as a productive adult in our society, with college typically being the first step in that direction.
If Sade ruled the US, 18 year olds would have all the responsibilities and opportunities as other adults. Joining the military, voting, tobacco, adult entertainment, and alcohol would be legal at that age. Taxes would be a little harder to determine because there's a huge variance in autonomy between individuals ages 18-22. Some are independent from the start, others only begin on the road to independence after finishing with higher education. Things like car rentals would, as they are now, be for the private companies to determine an age minimum. And running for political office would be for the state and local governments to decide, although it's highly unlikely anyone would take an 18 year old candidate seriously anyway since they'd have no credentials.
As far as crime goes, I think no one under 18 should be tried as an adult unless they already have a long record and/or are associated with a gang.
spicy, you're thinking way too much in black & white. No, you should not treat all crimes the same. Do you really think it's logical to lock up a 12 year old who steals a candy bar (I believe you used that as an example) & lock up a 12 year old for murder? It's two completely different crimes resulting in two completely different punishments. You can't even compare the two. spicy, would you want your kids to be around those two 12 year olds who stabbed a girl 19 times? Would you feel comfortable letting them roam around in society with the possibility of attempting to murder your kid next? So, each crime should be looked at differently I believe & yes, 12 years old is completely old enough to know better. A 12 year old is what, in 7th grade? I can think back to 6th, 7th grade....I had cognitive development.
I understand we live in an individualistic society but why don't you ever consider society's needs? We have enough healthy well adjusted twelve year old kids in society so locking up these two defective ones won't hurt anyone. If you try them as juveniles, at best they are reformed to become like other normal kids (which we have no shortage). At worse they commit more murders.
I understand we live in an individualistic society but why don't you ever consider society's needs? We have enough healthy well adjusted twelve year old kids in society so locking up these two defective ones won't hurt anyone. If you try them as juveniles, at best they are reformed to become like other normal kids (which we have no shortage). At worse they commit more murders.
It's called having principles. Would you support locking up a toddler for life too?
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