Accused Treated as Adult in Gay Student's Killing

by Gloria Hillard



All Things Considered, June 9, 2008 · Prosecutors' decision to charge Brandon McInerney, 14, as an adult in the shooting death of Larry King, 15, has divided the seaside town of Oxnard, Calif. McInerney is charged with premeditated murder and a hate crime in the killing of King, an openly gay eighth-grader.

What the child did was horrible.

But, I have a problem with trying people under 18 as 'adults.' His poor home-life aside, Brandon McInerney is, foremost, still a child with all problems attendant upon early adolescence. Trying and imprisoning him in an 'adult prison' seems to me as horrid a crime perpetrated by the State as the one Brandon committed himself.

One life is tragically wasted. Must we waste another in some sort of terrible sense that it will make reparation for Lawrence King? An eye for an eye, and soon all humanity will be blind.

Nichole

Quote from: Nichole on June 11, 2008, 11:01:45 AM
One life is tragically wasted. Must we waste another in some sort of terrible sense that it will make reparation for Lawrence King? An eye for an eye, and soon all humanity will be blind.

Absolutely. Revenge masquerading as 'Justice'. It's seemingly always been the human thing to do.

~Simone.

What McInerney did was reprehensible.  And to imply that he didn't know the consequences of his actions are also wrong.  What did he expect to happen?  Was his world view so skewed that McInerney thought that life would go on as normal for him after he killed King?

Regardless, though, to try this child as an adult haunts me.  I cannot agree with it at all.  I feel like I personally am punishing McInerney because I am a member of the LGBT community.  Nothing that is done to McInerney will bring King back nor will I feel that justice has been served.

I feel like I'm part of a lynch mob.

WE HAVE TO STOP PUNISHING OUR CHILDREN FOR OUR FAILINGS!

-Sandy