Murdered 8th Grader Taken Off Life Support, Shooter, 14, To Be Tried As An Adult For Anti-Gay Hate

[Omaha Steve]

Source: CBS

(CBS/AP) Organs were harvested from the body of an eighth-grade boy who was declared brain dead after being shot at school, a coroner's official said Friday.

Lawrence King, 15, was taken off life support on Thursday and his body was taken for autopsy after the organ harvesting.

Ventura County Senior Deputy Medical Examiner Armando Chavez said multiple organs were donated but he could not disclose which ones they were.


An unidentified student stops to look at a makeshift memorial honoring fifteen-year-old Lawrence King which lies beneath the flagpole at E.O. Green School Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008 in Oxnard, Calif. King was declared brain dead Wednesday after being shot in the head in class by a fellow student on Tuesday, February 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Phil McCarten)

The autopsy showed King died of wounds to his head.


Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/16/national/main3840120.shtml

[bluestateguy]

1. Good. He can spend the next 60 years of his life in jail

nt

[thunder rising]

9. He is a KID a child. How quickly you call out that America jails children until the crime affects

you. Hypocrites. Band-Aid the symptom, and the wound festers.

Indict the PARENTS for inciting Murder...hows that.

[Journeyman]

12. The woman who raised me was dragged from her car. . .

at an intersection in a Los Angeles suburb, thrown to the ground and shot twice through her left eye. They say the killer and his partner got some change and half a pack of smokes. The older criminal was 16, the triggerman 14. Both were put in juvenile detention, sentenced there until they were 25, but released when they were 18.

That was 34 years ago last August 9th. I think of Lucille almost every day. I suspect her killers are dead -- I hope they're dead, and I hope they died as they lived. To this day, I believe if anyone picks up a weapon and uses it in unprovoked anger they forfeit the right to all claims of childhood innocence.

[Evergreen Emerald]

15. I am so sorry for your loss.

That is just horrific. And, I agree with you.

Peace

[JeanGrey]

35. Wow. I am crying as I write this. I am so sorry and I don't

think anyone could put it more relevant.

[thunder rising]

43. I am really sorry, but they are kids and they need help not prison.

[Journeyman]

47. That's your opinion. . .

Lucille had a child of her own and wanted a happy life. She didn't get what she wanted or deserved and neither did her daughter. So much for their opinions.

So what would you propose to have done for those two "kids," given the too few months they were incarcerated? What skills would they learn, what love would they absorb, what advice would they heed, in 700 days for the one, only 1400 days for the younger? What help can be rendered to a "child" who has chosen the path to be a cold-blooded killer at such a young age? Can we at least agree they deserved a longer term of "assistance" than what they received? Didn't Lucille (or her daughter) deserve something that seemed like justice?

Who was served well in any of this sordid affair? The killers, who walked away free after mere months in detention? Lucille, who was carted far too early to the morgue? Or her daughter (or myself), left to wonder what sort of pathetic, useless society we're forced to endure?

Help for socially disadvantaged youths? I'm all for it. Done right, we could see a remarkable change in all aspects of society. Help for killers? Maybe. But only when their crime is adequately punished.

[proud2BlibKansan]

54. Rehabilitation

They are KIDS. Wouldn't you rather they become law abiding productive adults who learned from a horrible mistake?

An eye for an eye doesn't work for me when it comes to kids. Sorry.

[Journeyman]

55. A mistake? A MISTAKE? . . .

She was killed in cold blood, with forethought and determination. She was dragged from her car in the middle of the day, thrown to the pavement before dozens of people at a busy L.A. crossroads, and shot without a single word said to her. The little shit admitted he went looking for someone to kill and throughout the "trial" showed no remorse whatsoever. He was proud he'd killed her and twice celebrated her death before the judge. And you think something that corrupt can be rehabilitated? In what timeframe? By what means? With what methods?

Go ahead and live your fantasy of redemption and perfectibility. Unfortunately, I have to live in the reality of this failed society, with the raw memories of its brutality refreshed anew every time I reflect on my childhood.

I'll repeat again my original contention: Whenever anyone picks up a weapon and uses it in unprovoked anger they forfeit the right to all claims of childhood innocence.

[proud2BlibKansan]

57. Who was this kid? How many murders had he witnessed? What kind of a childhood did he have?

I tend to side with kids because they are kids. As tragic as your loss is, how does it make it any less tragic when a child's life is taken as well?

I have worked with troubled kids for too many years to write any of them off. Most have lived absolutely horrific lives I wouldn't wish on anyone. I once worked with a 10 year old who had witnessed three murders. And yes, he was a messed up kid with an eerie fascination with death.

I have also seen far too many of them saved to condemn them for life, even if they commit murder.

I am very sorry for your loss. I just don't think another loss is the best way to deal with a tragedy.

[northzax]

65. I am sorry for your loss

seriously, that is an awful, cruel story. But, you knew there was a but, this is why the statues of Justice always show her blindfolded. Victims of violent crime are not in the best position, quite reasonably, to dispense justice or act in what may be the best interests of society as a whole.

[winter999]

69. No excuse. Old enough to kill (cold-hearted I might add), old enough to

pay the penalty.

[redwitch]

59. I am so sorry for your loss.

I do not understand how it is possible for a human to be so depraved that they would murder for the thrill of it or a handful of change. Our society has become so toxic that this kind of senseless brutality is now a common occurrence. I am so sorry, there really are no words I can find here. :hug:

[atreides1]

16. Why The Parents?????

Where do you see in the story so far that the suspects parents incited murder?

Before you go slapping people down, you better make sure you're not painting with that broad brush of yours.

For all you know some of his more macho classmates might have goaded him into it, "hey I dare you to kill the fagot"!!!!!!

He was a child, he's now a suspect in a murder investigation. If his lawyer is any good he'll use an insanity defense which may get the murderer some time in an institution where he can get help.
But, then I would be assuming that this murderer didn't intend to kill another person, for all we know he did plan this.

[AlbertCat]

24. Not the parents

"For all you know some of his more macho classmates might have goaded him into it, "hey I dare you to kill the fagot"!!!!!!"


Indeed. It is evident that children are effected by their peers more than their home life. Studies on how "distant" fathers or a lack of a father, and doting mothers "make" someone gay clearly show it's the child who has more effect on the parents than vice versa. It is more likely because of "gay" behavior in the child, the father with draw back and the mother will step in to compensate.

It is obvious the major effect out-of-home environment has when one merely notices that children of immigrants born in the new country obtain the accent of the new country, not the parents....even if they speak in their native tongue at home.

Parents are important, but not the cause of everything....or even most of their children's behavior.

(Check out the book "Genome" for some info on how genes and environment interact in complicated ways. It's a great book anyway....check it out.)

[drmeow]

21. "Indict the PARENTS for inciting Murder...hows that."

My thoughts exactly. Unless the kid was emancipated by his parents and made a ward of the state, parents are responsible for the actions of their children until they are 18. What was going on at home? Did the parents know of the kid's anti-gay sentiments and violent nature? Did they try to do anything about it or did they encourage it?

[LisaL]

23. Hows that? If you ask me, that's stupid.

The parents did not kill anyone.

[ohio2007]

36. maybe it was the will of the "gang banga's" that a rival be done away with

C'mon
what are the odds a real "family" can be finger pointed as to being at fault?

imo, there is a good chance the shooter has passed his initiation

[sendero]

38. It's pretty clear to me..

... that you either have not raised any children or you learned nothing from the experience.

Parents cannot control the actions of their 8 year olds, much less 14. If the kid got the weapon from home, well that's a crime, otherwise, I FEEL AS SORRY FOR THE PARENTS OF THE SHOOTER AS I DO THE PARENTS OF THE VICTIM. Both have just lost a child.

[drmeow]

51. OK, in the heat of the moment

I misspoke (mis-wrote) somewhat.

The idea of charging a 14 year old as an adult is, to me, absurd. When I first read that my reaction was if he can be charged as an adult for this than his parents should also be charged - because I believe (as a psychologist) that any 14 year old that responds with that type of violence in that type of circumstances has been horrendously failed by his/her parents. And yes, we have a society that also socializes people to use violence to resolve issues but parents never-the-less play a key role. And I would say the parents of this kid have failed him miserably.

As for parents being responsible for their under 18 children - legally, they are. If my child damages property, I am liable for said damage. Its old English law and still on the books in this country.

[happyslug]

77. Under the Common Law, Parents were NOT responsible for actions of their Children.

That is the English Common law Rule. Most states have exceptions to that rule, in my home state of Pennsylvania, parents can be held up to $1000 per incident for an action of their minor child. This is by Statute only, for under the common law no such liability exists.

Now the child can be sued for hi or her actions no matter their age, provided you can show some sort of intent to do an action (Which even a Three year old can process). This is the famous case of a Three year old pulling a chair from under an adult. The child can be held liable but not the child's parents.

There are some exceptions to this rule, the main one involved conspiracy, if you tell your child to break into a house, you are liable even if you never enter the house. The rationale is that you conspired with the minor to commit a crime. Another narrower exception is if you know your child has a tendency to do something and you do not warn people of that fact and someone gets hurts (Through most of the cases involving such actions involve insurance, and the court tend to rule that if insurance is available to pay for the injury, the parent is liable to the extent of the Insurance).

Just a point, generally parents are NOT responsible for the torts of their Children under the Common Law (Through most states have statute making such liability and for that reason I strongly suggest anyone involved in such a case seek legal counsel in the state the incident occurred in).

[bluestateguy]

26. If you are old enough to do the crime, you can do the time

We are not talking about shoplifting at Wal-Mart (well, that would actually not be so bad). When somebody murders, based on raw hate, then yes, they need to be cast aside and removed from society. Sorry, no second chances for something that evil.

I agree though that the parents should be indicted for parental negligence.

[DBoon]

53. Would you try a 7-year old who brought a gun to school and shot someone

as an adult?

A 10 year old?

A 12 year old?

[winter999]

70. All the above.

[KurtNYC]

72. Should society be protected from shooters who are 7, 10 otr 12 years old?

Of course we should be.

[depakid]

80. No sense in trying to reason with most Americans about guns or juvenile crime

They choose to run on raw emotion, and are pretty well incapable of seeing that they're cutting off their collective noses to spite their faces with their policy choices.

Sadly, they're resigned to an ever increasing cycle of violence, recidivism (not to mention a hardening of character that's led to an acceptance of draconian punishments- even torture has become a part of the national dialogue).

[dogfacedboy]

61. The killer's innocence was lost the second he even thought about

picking up that gun. We're not talking about a seven year old here.
Lock him up.

[Matteon]

32. No child of 14 should ever be tried as an adult.

Ever.

[bluestateguy]

34. The two killers from the Jonesboro Arkansas Jr.High massacre are out orf prison now

They served only 8 and 10 years, and surprise, surprise, one of them is already in trouble with the law again.

[ohio2007]

37. dunno know about that

12 yr olds have been video taped chopping off the heads of adults.

-but posting those vids would be seen as 'in bad taste' and biased against religious beliefs

[abelenkpe]

68. At 14 you are not an innocent child

unable to tell the difference between right and wrong. I wonder if you would feel the same if a 14 year old killed your child?

Rehabilitation should be attempted, but it needs to be done on a case by case basis not across the board. Not all child killers are innocent victims. And not all are brutal unsavable savages. What's wrong with our justice system is the black or white decisions.

[happyslug]

78. Under the common law, age 14 was the age of "Reason".

Generally under the common law, if you do NOT have the mental capability of a 14 year old, you were legally insane. Most states have modified this rule, either in the 1800 till the 1950s for a more medical definition of insanity or since the 1970s for a stricter definition. Thus 14 is a magic number depending on the state and how much of the common law remains in the statutes governing Insanity.

Please note, while 14 was the age when people were assumed to be able to give good testimony (Below age 7, children were viewed as unreliable, between 7 and 14 it was on a case by case basis, through these age groups are more a guideline then a deadline). People could consent to sex, under the common law, at age 12 (Almost every state has set a higher age by statute, so check your state for the age of consent in your state). Thus 14 is a "magic number" under the law, and makes this child subject to trial as an adult under the common law, but if he has nay mental limitations that brings his mental capability below those of most 14 year olds, he is incompetent to be tried as an adult.

Juvenile Courts do NOT follow the common law age requirements, for they are the result of a need to help people under age 18. Notice the emphasis is on help not punishment, which is the big difference between juvenile courts and adult courts when it comes to crimes.

[alarimer]

42. It certainly doesn't sound like this kid is redeemable at all

I think, though, he should not be sent to an adult facility until he is 18. I am not sure what the usual process is in cases like this.

[Barack_America]

2. So, so tragic.

How does someone so young come to be filled with such hate and intolerance?

[AlbertCat]

25. I dunno....

....listening to Repug stump speeches?

[Doctor_J]

31. and hate radio 24/7

[acmavm]

Oops a dupe.

[acmavm]

3. Goddamn Goddamn Goddamn, this poor baby had such a sad sad life

and some shit takes it upon himself to kill him because, well just because. (We all know why but since the police haven't released a motive, I won't assign the blame to any one action either. I don't read minds but do believe if it walks like a duck, and it talks like a duck...)

We are fooling ourselves if we believe that cruel behavior in kids is a new thing. Kids have always been cruel. Generally because they're being raised by intolerant parents in a cold, cruel, racist, bigoted world. As has been said a million times, it's a rat race and the rats are winning.

edit:

<snip>
Several classmates have said King would wear feminine attire, making him a social outcast with other boys at the school. King sometimes came to school wearing makeup and high heels, eighth-grader Nicholas Cortez said.

King was in the county foster care system and lived at Casa Pacifica, a center for abused and neglected children, said Steve Elson, the facility's chief executive.

[crim son]

4. How are our kids learning to kill what they hate?

So ugly, this story.

[harmonicon]

6. a better question is how are they learning to hate?

This is tragic, but how can such a young boy even understand his own motivations for doing this? What are we accomplishing by locking up a boy until he's an old man? This is a symptom of the problem, but nothing is being done about what's causing the problem.

[theHandpuppet]

14. I think it's time for parents to start paying attention

It is common these days for boys to taunt/bully one other with slurs like "faggot!" and "queer!" And don't think because your little Johnny is raised in a Democratic home that he would never participate in these kinds of hate-filled assaults. Peer pressure among boys is horrible. I was in my backyard one day while a group of teen boys were playing soccer next door with some younger kids. They kept yelling "You're a faggot!" and "Queer boy!" at the younger ones until I finally couldn't take it any more. I pulled myself to the top of the fence and told them in no uncertain terms that I didn't want to hear anymore of that kind of language. Then I went to the home of the mother of two of the boys. She is a good friend, liberal Dem and has a gay daughter! I told her what was going on and even though her two boys weren't using those epithets themselves, they stood by and let their friends taunt and bully others with gay-bashing slurs. She was shocked.

So for those of you with kids, set them down at the table and have a talk with them about these issues. NOW. Don't ASSUME your little Jane or Johnny hasn't seen this kind of gay bashing going on, or would never participate in it, or wouldn't stand by watching it happen to others.

[harmonicon]

52. I'm not sure that that's gay bashing

Kids say all sorts of things, and rip on each other about things, just because it's fun. I think while what you describe is a little disturbing, it's also just name-calling. I'm sure I did things like that as a kid, but I was also taught to respect all people and their differences. Kids also make fun of each other for being rich, poor, bad at sports, ugly, good looking, types of clothes. I think the real worry would be if kids were saying these things not in a spirit of play, but actually attacking someone for being gay.

[LostinVA]

67. It sure is gay bashing

Do you know what it's like for a gay kid growing up being ABUSED at school for being gay? The rate of gay teen suicide is astronomical compared to the rate for straight kids. The hatred thrown at gay kids kills.

"in a spirit of play" stops when "faggot" and the like are thrown around.

[harmonicon]

74. I completely agree there

I'm just saying that kids say things like that to each other whether one of them is gay or not. They also call each other stupid whether or not they're stupid. The fact that there are slurs for homosexuals and that kids would use them as an insult is disturbing (where did they learn that?), but kids say silly things just to try out words and different social situations. Kids also hit each other a lot, and they don't all grow up to be thugs or spousal abusers. I think it's important to let kids be kids and have their own social environments and to recognize that they are different from adults. As adults, we just have to make sure that they learn the right lessons from these growing experiences.

I remember a story that my grandmother thought was just the funniest thing. My grandfather, bless his heart, was in many ways a very simple man (not in any sense stupid, but just a guy who'd never lived in a city or even a town - a farmer his whole life, except for when he was in the army in WWII). My grandma asked what one of my cousins and another kid were doing outside, and grandpa said, "I figure they were playing church, saying things "Jesus Christ!"-this and "God!"-that all the time".

[LostinVA]

75. They're not just silly things -- they should be called on it

Would you be so flippant about kids using racial slurs?

[harmonicon]

76. we can not judge children the same way we do adults

Children have to learn WHY certain words hurt - they can't just be told that something is wrong without understanding why. When you were a kid did you ever tell a family member "I hate you!" - shit, I'm sure I did, but I was just a kid. If for some reason I now told my parents or siblings that I hated them, I think it would be a pretty serious thing. Kids do also use racial slurs, but it's not the same as an adult doing it. I just don't think we can expect to teach right and wrong by rote - the good or the bad things.

[LostinVA]

79. I'm not saying to teach them by rote

You're acting like it's just kids play, though. And most kids are not as likely to use racial slurs, as often as homophobic slurs.

[paparush]

8. Um...maybe the shining example our government sets?

Got a beef?

Need some oil?

Need to bump Q4 profits?

Hate those Muslims?


Shit man, lock, load, and bring em on!

[crim son]

13. My question was rhetorical.

I think you've got it right.

[fortyfeetunder]

5. It's not just the kid who pulled the trigger

it's the community who taught him how to hate and be intolerant. I think the parents and guardians share the blame in this one.

[atreides1]

18. Until we Know For Sure

None of us has the right to automatically condemn the parents or the community, and I think that the Easter Bunny hides colored eggs from Jesus on Easter Sunday, but that doesn't mean that it's true.

Get all of the facts before you start assigning blame, okay?

[fortyfeetunder]

28. "It takes a village to raise a child"

I can't believe this young man thought to hate all by himself.

[Pale Blue Dot]

45. I agree with you. But in our society, the parents and the community are never even INVESTIGATED.

I believe in "innocent until proven guilty." But the parents should be investigated, and, well, see my post below.

[mkultra]

7. god speed lawrence

[GOPNotForMe]

10. Utterly tragic.

It amazes me that we have such capacity to hurt each other simply for the pleasure of it.

[flvegan]

11. Where did the kid get the handgun?

Have they released that information yet? Better yet, do they know?

[flashl]

17. Violent results from a violent society. nt

[Miss Chybil]

19. .

[fascisthunter]

20. So Tragic, All Around for Everybody

Homophobia takes two youths down. One dead, the other damaged goods and loss of freedom. So young and ignorant.... just tragic.

[LifeIsSweet]

22. I'm a single Gay father

Seeing this kind of tragedy is saddening, even more saddening is the fact this kind of mentality has been going on since America's inception.

We are not equal in the eyes of the law, as long as that continues, this kind of hatred and discrimination against us will continue.

I feel sorrow for the children who had to witness the murder of this child. Hate breeds hate.

[mattfromnossa]

39. It is very sad

My heart goes out to everyone who has been affected by this.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all HUMAN BEINGS are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

[McCamy Taylor]

27. Only a seriously deranged person shoots another in the head in cold blood.

Fourteen is old enough to be very well acquainted with right and wrong. Unless it turns out that the shooter has some type of mental illness such a schizophrenia or drug abuse that was not being treated and which can be treated, he is an ongoing danger to society.

How many people here could get a gun, take it somewhere and calmly aim and point it at another person's head?

No one,right?

If this were someone aged ten or under, you could say that his brain was still immature.

Fourteen year olds should have empathy and they should understand consequences.

This is not a fight that got out of hand. Not a spur of the moment thing. This is a very sick individual that the rest of us need to be protected from.

Killers become killers before the age of 18 sometimes.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

29. Adults put guns in the hands of kids to prove anyone can murder. ADULTS!

It's so easy to point fingers: not so easy to admit OUR culture produces such tragic circumstances, a culture ran by so-called ADULTS.

We are all responsible.

We allow mass killing of innocents in another nation and rarely give it a second thought.
We allow mass fraud and manipulation by those 'elected' and rarely give it a second thought.
We allow mass 'testing', sorting the worthy from the unworthy, and rarely give it a second thought.
We 'say' what's "inside" counts while shallowly judging the outside every damn day, and rarely give that a second thought.
We express our dissatisfaction a thousands times over our gratitude and rarely give it a second thought.
We toss away our minds for immediate emotional gratification all the time, and rarely give it a second thought.

We are all responsible.

[winter999]

71. And sometimes.. no all the time, a person is RESPONSIBLE for THEIR OWN ACTIONS!

[BreweryYardRat]

30. If not the murderer is not institutionalized, he needs to do his time in solitary.

You throw a 14-year-old kid into general population, that's a damn sight more evil than what he did. (And given that what he did was disgusting and heinous...)

The US prison system's such a horror show right now it makes me ill. Making sure he gets a long sentence in solitary confinement is fine. Throwing him into gen-pop, probably in some high-security prison where most of the inmates are essentially animals in human skin... No, I'm sorry, but I can't condone that. Before I had my eyes opened, yeah, but not now.

[littlebit]

33. Personally

I think he should spend the rest of his life in prison. He knew what he was doing. He needs to pay for it. We can sit here and blame everyone around him. But in the end he was the one who made the decision to pull the trigger.

[brentspeak]

40. Again, how did the shooter obtain his gun and ammo?

[LifeIsSweet]

41. I would bet it was

his parents, you know, the same people that recently said that the murdered kids family isn't the only one going through pain.

[Pale Blue Dot]

44. If we lived in any kind of just society, the PARENTS of the shooter would be under investigation

Then, if it was found that they contributed to his bigotry and/or enabled him to have access to a gun, THEY would be put away.

[David Zephyr]

46. Anyone want to still say we don't need hate crimes in America?

Gut wrenching.

[mitchtv]

48. I saw one of the adults on the school

on TV last night, He was saying They had been dealing with "some teasing". Well odiot the "teasing" turned deadly. I was screaming at the TV "It's called buillying, asshole".After the attitude I heard, I suspect that the school district might have to share in the liability.

[Nevernose]

49. I've devoted my professional life to teenagers

I'm a high school teacher. A good one, too, the kind of teacher that kids not only like, but that kids learn a lot from.

Before that, I worked for Juvenile Probation as a "juvenile services assistant" -- kind of a part-time probation officer. Interview the client, assess the risk to the community, maybe monitor them, and -- most importantly -- counsel them. Find them the services they need. HELP them. When it came time to get a job as a full time PO, I chose to teach, instead. It pays less than half of what a PO makes, but my soul is safe. I'm enough of a bleeding heart liberal to feel bad for the kids in trouble, but enough of a conservative to know that 99% really are guilty as hell.

The whole point of differentiating between juveniles and adults is that children can and do change. Even children that pull triggers. Children make horrible mistakes, too, for reasons that adults can't even comprehend -- mistakes like shooting a kid because of his sexual orientation. And then there's the fact that this kid won't be the same person at 25 that he was at 14. He's only had pubic hair for six months, fer crissakes. He's a boy.

Justice without mercy is merely revenge.

On Tuesday, my class will be talking about this case. Hopefully a lot of other classes have and will talk about this case. Hopefully this child's death can change a few hearts or at least open a few eyes. Hopefully he didn't have to die in vain.

On Edit: The amount of homophobia I confront everyday in high schools is staggering. I see very little racism, but homophobia? It's really disturbing.

[DavidMS]

63. There is no good choices here

It sounds like a little monster, but it might be possible to teach him to be human. But I am not well read on this one. On the other hand, punishing him will have a deterring affect on some people who would otherwise engage in hate crimes.

I think that at least a few years in jail followed by reevaluation would be a good thing. Bring back sentences of indeterminate length and release for good behavior on a graduated scale.

[DuaneBidoux]

50. I will never believe that any child should be treated like an adult.

[Bigmack]

56. I don't know HOW to do this

But what SHOULD be done with this kid to to "show" him - "teach" him - the error of his ways..... Somehow MAKE him understand the horror of what he did, and then sentence him to spending the rest of his life speaking to kids about his own tragic "mis-understanding" of those different from him. This sort of "justice" would cost less, and accomplish far more than treating this kid as an "adult" and locking him away for years. I freely admit that I don't know how truly to change people's minds, and to somehow "force" them to understand "actualities," as opposed to prejudices, but I can't help but think it's worth the effort to try. Ms Bigmack

[rocktivity]

58. Do they HAVE to call it "organ HARVESTING?"

It's spectacularly unselfish of the victim's family to allow for the organ donations, of course. But "organ harvesting" makes such generosity sound so crass and predatory!

x(
rocknation

[Thickasabrick]

64. Good thought but it sounds like he didn't really have a family

[TankLV]

60. A couple thoughts:

This is a CHILD - he is FOURTEEN. I'm against treating CHILDREN as adults - no matter the circumstances.

This child should have his PUBLIC record FOREVER show what he did. There should be NO "hidden records" or some other such bullshit. If we can have a child's SCHOOL DETENTION and other childish infractions follow them thru their lives, then this better be a part of this "childs" life-record. See how that affects HIS chance for college or employment. Too bad, but EVERYONE should know what this "child" did.

This "child" better not be left off with just a slap on the wrist - he should be required to get and MAINTAIN counceling for the REST OF HIS LIFE - just like a "sex offender".

[Kitty Herder]

62. So they're compounding a tragedy with another tragedy?

What this kid did was heinous, but it's wrong to try a 14-year old as an adult. Kids that age are still developing their moral reasoning.

It's all just horribly sad.

[sofa king]

73. I concur, and furthermore....

I can think of no better way to ensure that this juvenile will mature into a full-blown criminal than to treat him as one and surround him with others as his only role models.

There must be a more efficacious way to deal with this. Punishment should be dealt for the protection of society as a whole, not for the vengeance of the bereaved.

[sarcasmo]

66. Kick.