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In the article from Chicago Tribune of February 14, 2002, the situation with the death penalty and juvenile crime is discussed. It is written that according to research juvenile brains are still very much a work in progress, and that they tend to be weakest in the portions that govern self-control, judgment, and other matters where teens often conspicuously fail to excel. The evidence argues for a measure of leniency based on the obvious fact, which is recognized in every other aspect of the law, that minors are substantially different from their elders and must be treated differently (Column, Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, Feb. 14, 2002). However, there is no defending evidence in the practice of killing juveniles because they had physical capacity to commit murder.
The juvenile death penalty represents a childishly obstinate refusal on the part of many citizens and states to acknowledge that young killers ought to be judged and punished by different standards from adults. In that respect, it's time we grew up (Column, Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, Feb. 14, 2002). I agree on the issues from the article. From one hand, I support that if the juvenile had physical capacity to kill then he should be judged and punished in the same way as adult criminal. On the other hand, it is clear that in many cases adolescence do not recognize their actions.
It is actually possible to compare with the law on drinking. Legal drinking age is 21, therefore, one can assume that in that age a person controls his actions. When then the drinking age would not be 16 or 18? Now it is possible to see that one of the laws, whether the drinking age or age, at which a juvenile can be sentenced to a death penalty, does not consider the situation. People should always remember that the death penalty is used only in extreme cases, where other options cannot be applied. Besides, the reason rules of a person are created n the first place.
Individuals conscience is simply internal self-policing system punishing this individual for not following the laws of the land. When that internal system fails, external rules and threats of punishment are needed. However, in some cases they do not help too. Some children simply have no fear for laws, even though they definitely know what is right and what is wrong.
These are lessons that are taught as we grow up. Some learn these lessons better than others. The development of such an attitude towards the law start in small tests and the child checks whether it is possible to get away with something wrong that is about to be done. This is actually a normal process in the child development and part of learning the life. Usually, the problem starts when such a test will not be punished, but later the punishment will not be a sufficient reason to persuade the child in doing same thing again in the future.
In the future, they start to operate on different level with more complex actions. This situation can be described: Who cares what I do? I can get away with it. And if they will catch me then so what? I know what the penalty is and it does not deter me at all. This pattern of thought becomes a road to major problems.
In some cases juveniles know exactly that they are doing a wrong thing and they even assume that they will be caught, but they know that they will not be punished, because they are not 18 yet, the worst that can happen is spending time in jail. That is what that many think. Unfortunately, it is children (especially at the teenage years) that are most prone to start this type of mentality. By the time most people become adults their major outlook on laws and rules has already been created and tend to stay that way barring any traumatic occurrence that forces them to reevaluate their views.
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Research essay sample on Death Penalty Chicago Tribune
