Ted Rall for December 08, 2021

Did the world run out of worthy causes to defend?

The cartoonist is right. Trying a child as an adult and applying adult consequences is absolutely a game of pretend that has nothing whatsoever to do with Justice. That we lack the imagination and choose not to employ resources that truly would serve Justice is no excuse.

There is a long history of charging minors as adults. It presumably helps deal with the fact that an age is not the same as a degree of maturity. It’s also a technique for dealing with a particularly depraved crime, such as murdering several people where the DA thinks the maximum punishment for a juvenile isn’t sufficient.

I would prefer a magical system where each person is tried as they actually are, and then upon conviction, sent to rehab where they would stay until (magically) we knew they were better, including time in a half-way house to prove they were better. Puritan USA can’t cope with that though. PUNISHMENT is the primary goal.

No, the trail will be much easier than that, Ethen Crumbley will plead “self defense” Ethen was really “guarding the school against terrorists”. He’ll then take the stand, cry his eyes out, blubber how sorry he was that he killed somebody, but he was “defending” himself. Result; a “not guilty” verdict, followed by a parade for Ethen, a medal, awarded by D. Trump and an interview televised by Fox News.

It was the level of premeditation that made charging him as an adult appropriate. His mental health issues may pay a part to reduce his sentencing.

As for his parent that made a gun available to him and encouraged his behavior, “You have to learn not to get caught.”, that’s a different story.

So they should let him go with a slap on the wrist for a childish PRANK!?

Nothing new here. I read about some poor black kid in the south who was sentenced to the electric chair. He had to sit on books to fit. If that did not shake the conscience of people I don’t know what to say. They used to hang children for stealing bread, so…

For a Christian nation, we sure don’t believe in redemption.

Surely Ethan can use the same rational as Kyle Rittenhouse. Poor kid felt threatened and feared for his life.. why else would he carry a gun. Seriously.

It does seem declaring a 15 year-old an adult for criminal prosecution is absurd.

Since the parents are being charged as having responsibility for their son’s actions, I admit I question the logic of charging Ethan as an adult. It is being claimed he has adult responsibility for his actions, but his parents have responsibility too? Is he responsible for his actions like an adult or not?

Fifteen is old enough to know that murder is wrong.

Meanwhile, it appears that his parents are abandoning him… they tried to flee (but got caught) while he was in jail, now they’re hiring expensive lawyers for themselves but leaving him to fend with the help of a public attorney…

So, Rall is going to make this kid and his parents the new Kyle Rittenhouse.

Teach your children well.

…….well the best you can.

I’m still fascinated that the parents abandoned to the their son to the legal system and tried to skip town. I’m not sure who is more disturbed. Nonetheless, it is said that an acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree.

OT BUT IMPORTANT

How is it that more people can’t seem to make this fairly obvious if-then connection?

Logan Swan, a Beacon Hill resident and ironworker, said Tuesday that he has supported Sawant since her first campaign because she is doing what he expects from a leader, including participating in the activism that got her on a recall ballot.

“If you say you represent me, you should be going after employers who are committing wage theft. You should be leading movements. You should be helping us get organized,” Swan said outside of the Sawant Solidarity Campaign party at Chop Suey on Capitol Hill. “And I don’t see anyone else in the city doing that.”

We are a violent people.

You have got to be joking…Surely you can’t be serious. Rall, are you working for the NRA?!

https://youtu.be/84phU8of02U