2Hip2BSquare
Former Member
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2013
- Messages
- 2,694
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It is dicey but I'm not saying that by 16 they should have it all figured out or that all teens 16 and over should be tried as adults. My 20 year old brother-in-law can barely wipe his behind. I don't think 16 year olds are adults at all.
But for me, it's a case by case basis. For example let's say a 16 year old murders someone and then goes and gets hamburgers afterwards, sleeps well, laughs about the crime. Let's say there was a ton of planning involved. Let's say that 16 year old already has a pretty long rap sheet. I think trying that kid as an adult makes some sense. I don't know that that kid has any chance at rehabilitation. Now it becomes about protecting society rather than the kid.
BTW, ballots requiring parental notification of abortions have been rejected by voters in California three, separate times. And trying teens as adults would not change child abuse laws. Being able to try a teen as an adult simply determines that a minor may be treated as an adult in certain, limited, specific circumstances. It doesn't change the age when someone is still a minor.
I'm aware it won't change anything by default, but what I'm saying is it is completely contradictory to the idea that children are innocent due to psychological dependence on a caretaker and that caretaker has responsibility for the dependent child.
It's not like this 16 year old has a mortgage, car payment, rent, a full time job with benefits. He hasn't really hit that milestone at which you would consider someone an independent responsible adult that is solely responsible for his own emotional/physical/financial livelihood.