These guys should be shot

[Wildcard Ky]

There are rare times when I think the death penalty is warranted even if there wasn't a murder. This is one of them.

Sick bastards

 

[cloudy]

There are rare times when I think the death penalty is warranted even if there wasn't a murder. This is one of them.

Sick bastards

One of those arrested was 14.

Was it a heinous crime? Absolutely.

Should they be punished? Again, absolutely.

Should they die for something they did at age 14? Of course not. That would be just as wrong as what they did.

How many mistakes did you make at 14? Granted, not on this scale, but still...adolescent boys are walking stupidity, and that's not something you execute them for.

 

[Wildcard Ky]

Disagree. I'd have no problems throwing the switch on them.

 

[SeaCat]

And people here have commented that I must be kidding or making it up when I talk about the crime in my area. (By the way I posted about this a couple of days ago.)

The hospital they walked to? The one where I work.

Cat

 

[Pure]

having a death penalty here might likely have insured there were no survivors.

 

[elsol]

One of those arrested was 14.

Was it a heinous crime? Absolutely.

Should they be punished? Again, absolutely.

Should they die for something they did at age 14? Of course not. That would be just as wrong as what they did.

How many mistakes did you make at 14? Granted, not on this scale, but still...adolescent boys are walking stupidity, and that's not something you execute them for.

Mistakes? Many.

Rapes? None.

Forcing a son to have sex with his mother? None.

Trying to blind someone? None.

If you have an issue with the death penalty, I can understand... but to call this an 'adolescent mistake' or the run of the factory stupidity that parents expect to be woken up in the middle of the night about is beyond the pale.

Please don't compare getting drunk with the commission of rape... it's not a good defense.

 

[buxxxom]

I don't think they should die for what they did, but I can't think of any punishments that are currently part of the justice system that would be appropriate, either.

 

[The_Fool]

Lord of the Flies in action.

 

[cloudy]

Mistakes? Many.

Rapes? None.

Forcing a son to have sex with his mother? None.

Trying to blind someone? None.

If you have an issue with the death penalty, I can understand... but to call this an 'adolescent mistake' or the run of the factory stupidity that parents expect to be woken up in the middle of the night about is beyond the pale.

Please don't compare getting drunk with the commission of rape... it's not a good defense.

I wasn't. And, yes, I have huge problems accepting the death penalty.

And, I wasn't calling it an "adolescent mistake." Please show me exactly where I said that.

Since I know you're intelligent, I just have to assume you're being deliberately dense. It has been scientifically proven that children's - and that includes 14-year-olds - brains do not function in the same manner as that of adults. It was a horrible crime, no doubt about it, but punishing a child with the death penalty is a step down the road to madness that I would rather not see our justice system take. It's corrupt enough already, and justifying killing anybody as justice is ridiculous. It's nothing but revenge, plain and simple, and is just as heinous to me as is any of the crimes these people are accused of.

 

[unpredictablebijou]

I've never been a proponent of the death penalty myself. If I can't see myself participating in something I certainly can't advocate it for anyone else.

The only opinion I'm forming on this particular incident and death in general is that there are obviously way too many rats in this planet-shaped cage, and they're starting to eat each other.

I'm kinda grass roots where stuff like this is concerned. If I were Empress of the World, (and it's a damn good thing I'm not - I'd be terrible at it) I might suggest gathering a group of the loved ones of the victims in question and just shutting them in a soundproof room with the perps for about an hour. No weapons allowed.

Let the community make the call, maybe. I've always thought that might be a good solution to stuff like this. I don't trust the System for justice.

bijou

 

[elsol]

I wasn't. And, yes, I have huge problems accepting the death penalty.

And, I wasn't calling it an "adolescent mistake." Please show me exactly where I said that.

How many mistakes did you make at 14? Granted, not on this scale, but still...adolescent boys are walking stupidity, and that's not something you execute them for.

You're asking me to compare my mistakes to these boys'... mistake? Sorry cloudy, this reads like you think 'breaking curfew' and 'rape' are on the scale.

You directly called rape, sodomy, psychological torture, and trying to blind someone 'adolescent boy stupidity'.

 

[cloudy]

You're asking me to compare my mistakes to these boys'... mistake? Sorry cloudy, this reads like you think 'breaking curfew' and 'rape' are on the scale.

You directly called rape, sodomy, psychological torture, and trying to blind someone 'adolescent boy stupidity'.

No, I didn't. That you choose to read it that way is your own issue.

Whatever.

 

[lisa123414]

No, I didn't. That you choose to read it that way is your own issue.

Whatever.

death penalty for a 14 year old? Bullshit!

maybe for his parents? I have kids, I know where they are at all times. Where are the parents of these kids? What did they think their child was doing this night? With whom? I know, many parents have to work two jobs to make ends meet, if the custodial parent of this child was working, where was the other parent?

There are two people to blame, and it is not the 14 year old.

 

[cloudy]

death penalty for a 14 year old? Bullshit!

Exactly what I was saying. I suppose I used too many multi-syllable words for it to be understood.

 

[WRJames]

I am not a big fan of the death penalty. However, I would hope that these "children" would be charged as adults and given an adequate punishment.

 

[starrkers]

One of those arrested was 14.

Was it a heinous crime? Absolutely.

Should they be punished? Again, absolutely.

Should they die for something they did at age 14? Of course not. That would be just as wrong as what they did.

How many mistakes did you make at 14? Granted, not on this scale, but still...adolescent boys are walking stupidity, and that's not something you execute them for.

I want to know more about the rest of this "gang". They've only caught two of them so far. This is something more than adolescent stupidity.

 

[Boxlicker101]

death penalty for a 14 year old? Bullshit!

maybe for his parents? I have kids, I know where they are at all times. Where are the parents of these kids? What did they think their child was doing this night? With whom? I know, many parents have to work two jobs to make ends meet, if the custodial parent of this child was working, where was the other parent?

There are two people to blame, and it is not the 14 year old.

Assuming the 14 year old is of normal intlligence, oh, come off it. Yes, by all means lay much of th blame on the parents. But blame him too. His parents should have taught him better, but he has to be aware it isn't right to rape and beat and try to blind people.

I strongly advocate the death penalty, but not in this case and not for a 14 year old.

 

[LDTTF]

There are rare times when I think the death penalty is warranted even if there wasn't a murder. This is one of them.

Sick bastards

Castration would be a better deal. All of them.

 

[LadynStFreknBed]

Having worked with juvenile sex offenders, I'll tell you right now that chances are that at least the "gang leader" of the group was sexually abused himself. I'm not condoning their actions! Many people are sexually abused and do not abuse others. They definitely should be punished, preferably in a way that will include rehabilitation.

Before I worked with juvenile sex offenders, I didn't even know they existed. When I was warned about some of the things the kids have done, I was sickened and angry. When I read their charts, and saw that at least 95% of them were sexually abused..and saw the details of their horrific abuse.. I cried.

I'm sure this isn't even half of the story.

 

[Wildcard Ky]

There are two people to blame, and it is not the 14 year old.

THAT is part of the reason why kids do this crap. They know there's segments of society that won't blame them. Lisa has just said bluntly that it's not the kids fault. That's a crock. The kid IS to blame. He's the one that did the act.

Yes, it is his fault. You have no idea what his situation is, but you're ready to automatically say that it's not his fault. He made the choice to do the act.

 

[Wildcard Ky]

Having worked with juvenile sex offenders, I'll tell you right now that chances are that at least the "gang leader" of the group was sexually abused himself. I'm not condoning their actions! Many people are sexually abused and do not abuse others. They definitely should be punished, preferably in a way that will include rehabilitation.

The part about "rehabilitation" that bothers me is that means some will think the perps should be back on the streets in a few years.

Gang rape, force a 12 year old to watch, then have intercourse with his own mother, pour solvents into the 12 year olds eyes. Do you really want this person back on the streets? In a few years someone will proclaim him "Rehabbed", and that's exactly what will happen.

If you say that sexual abuse causes these monsters, think about the monster that they've just created in the 12 year old victim.

 

[English Lady]

I read that and I just feel sad, so very, very sad.

Death penalties are never warranted in my mind, same here. I just pray the people in charge of giving out justice here manage to work something out that works, there are some serious issues that need to be addressed in this case, that is for sure.

I don't think Cloudy is saying give the 14 year old a get out of jail free card, he needs to be punished, that is obvious but not by death. I don't think anything justifies that.

 

[angelicminx]

I agree that the fourteen-year-old (and the rest of the gang) needs to be punished, but definitely not by execution. I don't know what an appropriate punishment would be, but it's not death.

At the same time, I don't trust the justice system to get it 'right'.

 

[lisa123414]

Yes, it is his fault. You have no idea what his situation is, but you're ready to automatically say that it's not his fault. He made the choice to do the act.

You have no idea what his situation is, yet you are ready to execute him.

I will, after some thought, agree that the fourteen year old in question may just be a bad seed. Or he may have gotten caught up in a "mob" situation and felt powerless to intervene. And many kids who are negelcted and abused rise above it a become some of the finest people around. This kid will never be the same, simply for having been there. I don't know how this will pan out, who will get what punishment, will everyone involved be caught and brought to justice.

I just get emotional when i see a lynch mob.

 

[R. Richard]

When I was younger, I lived in South Central Los Angeles. Actually, I lived in the area where the Crips and Bloods gangs originated.

When you get teenage boys in a gang, they try to outdo each other, as a sort of rite of passage. What happened in the case of the 14-year-old boy may well have been that sort of thing. I don't really have enough information to decide and neither do any of you.

Now, let's get into an area where I do have information and very probably none of you do. I lived in an area where the name 'Whi' Boy' was sufficient to uniquely identify me. You have no idea what a teenage gang will do to someone they identify as a target. I do. You have no idea how to convince said teenage gang(s) to modify their behavior [nor do the social services professionals.] I do. What is necessary is to convince the gang members, jointly and severally, that severe physical punishment will immediately follow any stepping out of line. Evidence will be quickly weighed and the punishment will immediately follow [No, I never killed anyone or committed any crime where the statute of limitations has not run out. Also, I know absolutely nothing about the massacre in the alley.] Any other course of action will fail. I am not talking theory, I am talking observation on the front lines.

If you try counselling with a gang member, you will fail. The gang member has to go back into the gang area and the gang members will apply their own counselling. [You may have a PhD, but they have knives, chains and guns.] It is practically impossible to survive in a gang area unless you are in a gang, or unless you have some exceptional talent in an area accepted by the gangs [sports, music] or unless you be Willie Green. [Since I am average sized, I had to prove numerous times that I was actually Willie Green.]

I have observed the cure in a few instances, and I believe that the only permanent cure for a male child who has been sexually abused is to personally insure that the abuser never again abuses the child [or anyone else for that matter.] Castration is not sufficient. [I have been told that an adult woman tempting a teenage boy into sex is abuse. You have got to be kidding me.]

If you want to solve the gang problem, then come up with a practical alternative.