YOUTH IN PERIL

by Kyle Crosson

Should we murder the voiceless? This March 2, the juvenile crime initiative, Proposition 21-802, asks the voters of California to do just this. It does so by requiring the courts of California to try children as young as fourteen as though they were adults. As we all know, California is one of many states that uses the death penalty. With the recent execution of two prisoners in Virginia and one in Texas who were seventeen at the time their crimes were committed, this makes the good ol’ US of A the number one nation in the field of child executions. Doesn’t it just make you proud?

This ballot measure raises ethical, legal and economic issues. The ethical and legal crisis arises out of the inherent contradiction of considering a juvenile as an adult only when they have committed a violent crime. It is a well known, but debatable, fact that we live in a democracy. Giving the ultimate punishment to someone who does not have the right to become a participating member of the system to which they answer is the ultimate travesty of justice.

Remember our good-natured, child-loving former Gov. Pete Wilson? Well, he just happens to be one of the main proponents of this initiative. Gotta love those Republicans. Those with financial concerns need to realize that it sure costs the taxpayers more to execute us pesky kids. To put it simply, when someone’s life is at stake, instinct takes over and the individual will exhaust every means possible to stay alive. This translates into jamming up our court of appeals with cases from prisoners on death row. Taxpayers pay millions of dollars per case. And yes, these costs do indeed exceed the cost of imprisoning someone for life.

The ethical questions raised with Proposition 21-802 are so overwhelming, that anyone favoring a democracy, cannot with a clear conscience, vote yes on this proposition, due to the extreme social injustice entailed. To do so will undermine the values on which we base our society. Vote NO on prop 21-802!

 

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Kyle Crosson is 17-year-old high school Senior, who resides in the North Bay. This editorial was spawned out of discussions on the KPFA youth-oriented program "Hard Knock" in late January.

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