Originally Posted by
gabosaurus
Why charge a 12 year old with anything? At that age, kids are a product of their environment. They have learned from their upbringing.
What kind of parents (or lack of such) does the child have? Are his parents abusive? Has he been allowed to watch violent movies or TV shows, or play violent video games?
In one of my grad classes, we studied a couple of cases like this. One in particular struck me.
In England, an 11 year old boy got into a dispute with a neighbor, a 9 year old boy. It progressed into typical childish name calling. The 11 year old went home, got a tire jack handle and savagely beat the other kid to death.
Police investigating the case found that his parents were both alcoholics. His dad had a bad temper and frequently threatened to "beat people to death."
The kid, in his 12 year old state of mind, merely thought that was the way adults settled arguments.
I only partially buy your argument. He should be charged. he committed a heinous and callous enough crime that in some states an adult doing the same would get the death penalty.
You also cannot blame JUST the parents. A society that is "I-me first" in all matters is going to create people such as this.
This is a perfect example of not addressing the problem. The parents are not the ones who committed the crime. If this kid has such little regard for any human life other than his own as he has displayed, then perhaps the state can square him away on the matter if the parents can't.
“When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.” Edumnd Burke