Thank you Colin for taking notice, (I have not received the digest today and so did not know that my piece was on line) and I did not know of the case you mention. COLIN WROTE " > I was watching a program yesterday about teo boys in Florida of 13 and > 14. They were tried as adutls for the murder of their father and found > guilty of murder 2. These boys were 12 and 13 at the time of their > crime(alleged). " BIG EDIT, THEN > I am disgusted, more than I can express, that: > > 1. that these two boys are victims of the worst kind of abuse. > > 2. that they were badly let down by society and their parents. > > 3. that they were tried as adults when they are children. > > 4. that no one cared enough to stop this happening. > > and all this in a 'civilised' country.(many 'civilised' countries abuse > their children) END QUOTE
I work for a large charity concerned with children in the UK. The sort of terrible situation children find themselves in in the US (neglected by parents and failed by the state authorities who look after them in loco parentis) is not uncommon here, but we do not have the annomalies of state laws that allow children who are completely vicitmised by their lives to be deemed adults in one state and children in another.... There have been several cause celebre cases here, as you know ,where children have been guilty of killing other children (James Bulger case for example) It was apalling that they tortured that child and killed him. There is no denying the heinous nature of their crime. But what were their backgrounds, just what sort of depravity had they been exposed to that made them do what they did? I do not suggest for one moment that they should go unpunished but the whole issue of how to deal with youth crime is a thorny one and it is important that society understands the nature of cycles of abuse and behavioural patterns that are caused therein.... It is like the ghastly prejudices of race and religion and sexual orientation that go on for generation after generation. War on war is fought because bigotry is given more credence purely by virtue of it speaking a language that is narrow and unimaginative. It is easier to believe bad about people than good.... the sheer indoctrination of children by bigotted parents breeds a whole new generation who think like their parents did...... It is time to draw lines and step back from the furrows of entrenched ideology. Look at the person, not at the colour of their skin, the country they come from, the god they worship or the person they choose to love.... I truly despair of our fellow feeling to one another, except on JMDL and within my circle of friends.... Thank you, any of you who take on board the points I make... It may seem like a rant but WE HAVE TO OPEN OUR EYES! Change our attitude and the world will change too... Thank you Rose too, for your comments. it was kind of you to bother.... Lucy NP Shower the People , James Taylor ( Oh how apt)
