Dean's World

Now That's A Dangerous Kid

Dean

I know I'm really not supposed to find a story like this, but I must admit that if I were 13, I'd think this kid was a legend.

But I grew up in or near some rough parts of town.

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John Eddy (mail) (www):

He'll be tried and convicted as an adult, and I'll bet they find a way to throw a sex crime in there as well. Prison time, followed by a life-long mark as a violent felon and maybe registered sex offender.

Kid's toast, and he deserves it.

11.30.2004 1:43am

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John Eddy (mail) (www):

Just follow on to my comment above, I like to think kids his age can be salvaged, but modern society just isn't interested. Plus it's in the papers so the DA will make an example of him. Can't pass up a chance to go before the cameras, you know?

11.30.2004 1:47am

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Dean Esmay (www):

Yeah I'd say a kid like this could be saved. Especially if they get him before he turns 19, 20 years old. Much older than that and the odds go down very fast.

11.30.2004 1:55am

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Kacie Landrum (mail) (www):

I think it's interesting how so many people's first thoughts, when confronted with the perpetrator of a crime, are, "How can we rehabilitate this person?" Generally, my first thoughts are, "How long should we lock him away to make sure justice is done?" Myabe just because I'm one of those blood-thirsty Republicans. :P

Got into an argument with some classmates and a professor the other day about the prison system. Some classmates favored some type of reform and others another. I completely disagreed with both sides.

Someone said, "After all, the primary reason to send someone to jail is to rehabilitate them and stop them from ever committing another crime again, and hopefully help them get readjusted to life in the outside world."

I commented, "But that's not true! The primary purpose of the justice system is to *bring justice*. That's why it's got the word 'justice' in its name! We should, first and foremost, think about what is the most just punishment for the crime, and then think about helping the criminal out afterward."

They stared at me like I'd grown another head, completely ignored me, and went back to the other two solutions. Blah.

11.30.2004 9:53am

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caltechgirl (www):

Except for the gun, I thought it was funny, actually. He got his dance even though he wasn't old enough to go into the club. Heh.

11.30.2004 10:07am

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Publius Rex (mail) (www):

Every bachelor party I've ever been to that had dancers brought in to the party, invloved a guy that made sure he stayed in the room with the girls. Now, if she was a "dancer" (wink, wink) rather than a dancer, maybe I can see her going alone.

Why was this woman alone?

11.30.2004 10:23am

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Steven Malcolm Anderson (www):

What an evil kid! Sounds a lot like me what I was his age. Except that I never did anything like that. I know the difference between fantasy and reality and between right and wrong, and I keep such elementary distinctions in mind when I act.

I agree with Kacie Lundrum that he deserves punishment for what he did. A police chief once said that "rehabilitation is the con's biggest con". It has also been wisely said that, when it comes to crime and punishment, law and order and justice, a conservative is a liberal who was mugged the night before.

I agree with Leonard Peikoff: Justice means you get what you deserve. You do something good, you get something good as a result. You do something bad, you get something bad as a result (the slammer, the electric chair).

As for "Why was this woman alone?", that sounds too much like "Why was she wearing that short skirt?" or "What did America do wrong to deserve to have terrorists attack us?". A crime is a crime is a crime, whether the victim was the Virgin Mary or the Whore of Babylon.

11.30.2004 12:30pm

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Wince and Nod (mail) (www):

The spiritual reason we want justice is to get fairness. The societal reason is to reduce costs. The spiritual reason we want rehabilitation is because we all want to be rehabilitated. The societal reason is to reduce costs.

As a conservative, I say, let's have both.

Yours,
Wince

11.30.2004 2:22pm

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Dean Esmay (www):

Kacie: My first thoughts when confronted with the perpetrator of a violent crime is on justice.

My first thought when confronted with a violent child, (this was a 13 year old!), is how we might save the kid before he turns into an unredeemable monster. Right now he's on a cusp; by the time he's 21, 22 years old, our ability to reform him is much lower. I'd say by 25 or so... probably a lost cause, and long stretches in prison the only solution.

But 13???

Caltechgirl: Truth is I laughed too. Like I said I grew up in--well, near, and spent a lot of time in--rough parts of town. It would be less funny if he'd actually shot her with that gun though, wouldn't it?

Rex: That's a very good point. Odds are high she was a prostitute, not really a "dancer." Either that or she's a very naive or stupid dancer.

11.30.2004 6:56pm