11 year old kid murders an 8.5 month pregnant woman

[DarkReign]

Well, you are exaggerating - not every case is tried as an adult. Or there wouldn't be so many cases in juvenile court.

I cant think of a single underage 1st degree murder trial that wasnt tried as an adult. It obviously doesnt mean they dont exist, just that I havent heard or seen one.

I am sure there are plenty of manslaughter (accidental shootings) and 2nd degree murder (rage fueled), but I dont know.

What I've been given to understand is that it has to do with one of two things - the understanding and mental ability of the perpetrator of the crime to recognize the crime as being right or wrong (especially in relation to the level of planning involved, which could speak to the maturity of the child in question) and the perceived ability for rehabilitation of the child and the potential for future contributions to society.

But do you see the paradox? A child is a child in the eyes of the law until they prove otherwise by way of murder?

By what standard? Mental capacity of an undeveloped, highly immature personality?

If "child", by definition of the law, is just a flexible term to be misused when convenient, then why have a distinction at all? Get em a job, start paying taxes and recruiting 11 year olds in the military immediately.

I mean, why not, right? If one 11 year old is "mature" enough to plot and execute a murder and be held to an adult standard in the eyes of the law, then it is safe to say that all 11 year olds at least have the capacity to do so and therefore should be afforded no special protection under law.

Its very spurious.

Or is murder the demarcation line between being considered an adolescent and being an adult?

If thats the underlying issue at hand, then we as a society, IMO, have fallen further than imagined. The capacity to kill determines maturity and we're more than willing to lock children up for the rest of their life based on that gruesome standard.

[Shaolin-Style]

Video games where you are able to kill are apart of critical thinking and problem solving.

Like math.

[phxspurfan]

this is why white people shouldnt own guns