Message #11313

[djpcps]

Below are excerpts from an editorial in today's Atlanta Journal - it expresses a lot of the same opinions I hold - except I do not believe in charging, prosecuting and sentencing teenagers as adults - but reading this really struck close to home.



". . . The idea that parents are responsible and accountable for rearing and socializing their children has eroded. Too many parents seek to blame someone or something else for acts of social misfits. Too many have abdicated their responsibility to discipline, maintain order, demand respect, instill manners, accountability and a sense of positive achievement.



Liberal and permissive national, state and local politicians, in collaboration with so-called liberal social science experts, created laws that undermined order, discipline, manners, respect and accountability in our society. Educators cannot teach because of social misfits.



Allocating millions to education will not change the antisocial dynamics affecting teaching and learning. Until we elect politicians who have the intestinal fortitude to pass laws that hold adults, parents and children responsible and accountable for their negative behavior, we can expect our youth to continue to emulate adult violent and antisocial behavior. . . ."



We disenfranchise our young people every day - they are constantly told they are too young to drive, vote, hav sex, or buy alcohol.  BUT they are old enough to prosecute and jail as adults - where's the logic in that? Sending ever younger children to jail for the rest of their lives - how can we justify that?  The latest outrage is a 12 year old boy sentenced to life in prison - although it wasn't for a school shooting, another child died.  But even so, how can we hold a 12 year old responsible?