Life without parole
What's wrong with the United States?
In December, the United Nations took up a resolution calling for the abolition of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for children and young teenagers. The vote was 185 to 1, with the United States the lone dissenter.
Indeed, the United States stands alone in the world in convicting young adolescents as adults and sentencing them to live out their lives in prison. According to a new report, there are 73 Americans serving such sentences for crimes they committed at 13 or 14.
posted by Gary Carson at 3:26 AM
1 Comments:
If someone you loved was murdered by that 14 year old, you might have a different opinion.
In most societies and cultures, children reach maturity at 13. It is only our growing life expectancy and the need to develop human capital through education which has pushed back our concept of adulthood.
A 14 year old can get an abortion without parental knowledge or consent. Apparently they are mature enough and responsible enough to make life and death decisions.
Trying children as adults is the EXCEPTION, not the rule. With tens of thousands of murders committed every year, 73 teenagers currently serving life sentences does not alarm me. I'm sure we would all be alarmed by reading the details of their horrendous crimes.
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