I want to respond to the article about the teenager who is being charged with homicide as an adult. The fact that this kid may have taken another person's life is a tragic and reprehensible circumstance, but it does not mean his life should also be taken.
I am not talking about the death penalty. I am talking about prison.
The U.S. is one of the few countries that will convict children as adults, and Florida will sentence a child to life without parole.
When I was a teenager, I desperately wanted to be treated as an adult. I wanted to do everything adults could do. But the reality was I was not an adult. I could make bad decisions I would be punished for, but I would learn from them.
This kid allegedly made a terrible decision and should be punished for it, but the reality is he is just a stupid kid who needs serious help.
A neuroscientist at UCLA said there is a crucial difference in the distribution of brain activity when making a decision between a teen and an adult. This is not an excuse, but it does explain why we treat teens like kids.
If we are going to treat teens as adults for serious crimes and throw them away, then teens should also be allowed to vote and buy alcohol, cigarettes and guns.
