Another Bad Decision
I was going to write a lengthy post about the Supreme Court Taffy Pull and Personal Fulfillment Seminar where they declared juvenile death sentences unconstitutional but Dave Holman from Potomac Gadfly and the American Spectator beat me to it. Dave has a solid analysis of the matter, and pretty much captures my own views.
I think that, once again, the Supremes have created law based on their own personal opinions. If this were not the case, they would not have had to site foreign law and (dubious) public opinion. The job of a court-any court-is to exercise the law as it is codified or commonly practiced (in the case of common law). Their job is not to make decisions based on ``evolving moral judgements`` or any such crap. That the Legislative branch has allowed the Judiciary to usurp their constitutional duties is a testament to the stupidity of Democrats, and the weakness of Republicans in Congress. Legislating from the bench should be grounds for impeachment, and if Congress had any courage they would do precisely that to activist judges. It`s time for the citizenry of these United States to rise up and demand accountability!
That said, I do think that an age of majority should be established by the States and that this age should be adhered to legally. Clearly, a seven year old child is not responsible for his or her actions. Likewise, as a Christian I believe that a juvenile should have an opportunity for redemption. I do not believe, however, that a seventeen year old is incapable of making adequate moral judgements, and I have no problem with the death penalty being meted out under certain circumstances. I think this is up to the States to decide.
Here in Missouri we have a young man who has just been released from death row. This particularly evil young man threw two young girls to their deaths one dark night off the abandoned Chain-of-Rocks bridge into the murky black water of the Mississippi River, and forced their male cousin to jump at gunpoint (he survived). He was seventeen, and counted on that to protect him. (I lived in the neighborhood where this happened, and my mother had taught these two girls when they were in grade school, so I have been following this case for years.) He was tried and convicted as an adult, and has been fighting his execution ever since. The Supreme Court has just handed this monster a get-off-death-row-free card. It`s just not right. Justice demands more!
Everyone wonders why we are losing control of the youth. Why is drug abuse, alcoholism, crime, teen pregnancy rampant? Why wouldn`t it be! This horrible decision simply reinforces what juveniles already know; they can get away with anything-even murder-and won`t face any consequences. There is no means of discipline! Parents want to be their children`s friends, or don`t care about their kids. Schools are afraid of lawsuits, as are churches, counselors, etc. and so won`t take any serious, decisive action. Often, the worst punishment meted out in school is a suspension, which may as well be a reward for the unruly child. (Suspensions should be served in the gymnasium where the kids should have to drill like buck privates in boot camp.) Children have learned, thanks to the pollyanna do-gooders, that they are inviolate. It should come as no surprise that children without limits behave as if they have none.
The Supreme Court has just removed another limit, and are to blame for the consequences that will follow.
(Oh well, I guess I made a lengthy post after all!)
I think that, once again, the Supremes have created law based on their own personal opinions. If this were not the case, they would not have had to site foreign law and (dubious) public opinion. The job of a court-any court-is to exercise the law as it is codified or commonly practiced (in the case of common law). Their job is not to make decisions based on ``evolving moral judgements`` or any such crap. That the Legislative branch has allowed the Judiciary to usurp their constitutional duties is a testament to the stupidity of Democrats, and the weakness of Republicans in Congress. Legislating from the bench should be grounds for impeachment, and if Congress had any courage they would do precisely that to activist judges. It`s time for the citizenry of these United States to rise up and demand accountability!
That said, I do think that an age of majority should be established by the States and that this age should be adhered to legally. Clearly, a seven year old child is not responsible for his or her actions. Likewise, as a Christian I believe that a juvenile should have an opportunity for redemption. I do not believe, however, that a seventeen year old is incapable of making adequate moral judgements, and I have no problem with the death penalty being meted out under certain circumstances. I think this is up to the States to decide.
Here in Missouri we have a young man who has just been released from death row. This particularly evil young man threw two young girls to their deaths one dark night off the abandoned Chain-of-Rocks bridge into the murky black water of the Mississippi River, and forced their male cousin to jump at gunpoint (he survived). He was seventeen, and counted on that to protect him. (I lived in the neighborhood where this happened, and my mother had taught these two girls when they were in grade school, so I have been following this case for years.) He was tried and convicted as an adult, and has been fighting his execution ever since. The Supreme Court has just handed this monster a get-off-death-row-free card. It`s just not right. Justice demands more!
Everyone wonders why we are losing control of the youth. Why is drug abuse, alcoholism, crime, teen pregnancy rampant? Why wouldn`t it be! This horrible decision simply reinforces what juveniles already know; they can get away with anything-even murder-and won`t face any consequences. There is no means of discipline! Parents want to be their children`s friends, or don`t care about their kids. Schools are afraid of lawsuits, as are churches, counselors, etc. and so won`t take any serious, decisive action. Often, the worst punishment meted out in school is a suspension, which may as well be a reward for the unruly child. (Suspensions should be served in the gymnasium where the kids should have to drill like buck privates in boot camp.) Children have learned, thanks to the pollyanna do-gooders, that they are inviolate. It should come as no surprise that children without limits behave as if they have none.
The Supreme Court has just removed another limit, and are to blame for the consequences that will follow.
(Oh well, I guess I made a lengthy post after all!)
posted by Timothy Birdnow | 3:33 PM
2 Comments:
I agree, the supremes are out of control, creating a new country based on what they believe and ignoring the intent of our founders. What they would never be able to amend into the constitution they are implementing through convoluted judicial "logic". To my mind they are traitors of the worst kind.
We've got this crazy split where on the other hand, they handcuff and jail and expell kids for things like bringing an aspirin to school -- or throwing a rubber band on the teacher's desk, didn't you write about that, or bringing a pair of blunt scissors to do an art project. No sense of proportion and common sense. Our Supremes are spending their summers in Euroland and want to get invited to all the best red wine and Brie cheese parties.
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