tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11093162.post4578569969784132665..comments2024-03-23T19:16:01.555-07:00Comments on Can it happen here?: A tale of a horrible murder, two children, and a juryjaninsanfranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07548452260456734928noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11093162.post-8016887510950607782011-09-04T18:42:20.248-07:002011-09-04T18:42:20.248-07:00Well, there is so much to be said about this case....Well, there is so much to be said about this case. But one that leaps out at me is "he'd be free by age 25."<br /><br />I don't know a lot about the juvenile justice system, but it seems to me that, at least for murder, there ought to be a better (longer) choice than freeing a convicted killer at age 25 so that prosecutors would not feel it necessary to (necessarily) try a 14-year-old as an adult.<br /><br />The other big point you make very well - that had the victim been a straight football jock there would not be all the induced panic brought forth with gay involvement.<br /><br />What a terrible, sad case.Ronni Bennetthttp://www.timegoesby.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11093162.post-71041032154282726752011-09-04T15:41:32.311-07:002011-09-04T15:41:32.311-07:00Rain, I couldn't agree more that this all seem...Rain, I couldn't agree more that this all seems a tragedy. My impression is that the jury did the best they could with what they had -- and that something had gone terribly wrong well before. Both the killing and the mistrial are reproaches to how we are handling the socialization of young people.<br /><br />Mostly I think adults are inadequately aware of the extent to which schools are arenas of sexual harassment between students, regardless of gender. We should be able to make it safer for kids to grow up.janinsanfranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07548452260456734928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11093162.post-91640147394858177152011-09-04T14:43:23.589-07:002011-09-04T14:43:23.589-07:00Having just served on a jury this summer, I better...Having just served on a jury this summer, I better understand the difficulty of the decision they had to make. I don't know that jury but I know that you have to base your verdict on the evidence you are given and that sometimes isn't enough. It is not all you would want to know or wish was presented.<br /><br />In this case, I'd want to know what evidence there was of premeditation. <br /><br />I'd also wonder if the killer was gay also and hadn't been able to accept it not that it'd excuse murder. <br /><br />I also would find it wrong if the school system ignored the gay boy saying what he did to other boys. I know it's a different era but if a straight boy had said to me what you are saying the victim said when I was in high school or to my granddaughter today, I'd be furious as would my parents have been. I would consider it very wrong for the school to ignore what amounts to sexual harassment and feel that the victim should have been taught to handle his sexuality better. This would be whether he was dealing with heterosexual or gay sexuality. <br /><br />It's very much a tragedy. And one of the problems we have today is not treating gays the same as straights in terms of learning responsibility. When we finally reach a point of recognizing that gender is not a choice and there isn't a wrong or right for it, then teaching responsible behavior will maybe go along with it although you sure see plenty of sexual harassment today. My 13-year old granddaughter was groped last year on the playground with a boy in her class trying to pull off her pants before he got stopped. The school didn't do much about it which I think will lead that boy to further problems if more didn't happen about it than was told to my daughter when she consulted with the school over the event! We are a sexually screwed up people is all I can say.Rain Trueaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07994628226501093880noreply@blogger.com