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June 11, 2010
Feral children and the age racket
A new trend in crime is taking the form of vicious, potentially fatal attacks by children. They prey on older people whom the attackers deem incapable of defending themselves: Vincent Poppa, 72, spent 39 days at Methodist Hospital after he was assaulted, robbed, and stomped by a group of youths, the victim of the notorious "catch and wreck" near a playground in Southwest Philadelphia.I think that by engaging in adult behavior, these "children" have forfeited any claim to privacy. Not only did they beat this guy within an inch of his life, but they used a gun (which sounds pretty adult to me): Poppa's brother, Nicholas, 74, who also attended the trial, was so upset by the outcome, he began shouting at Dougherty.What worries me about feral children (not a new topic here) is society's refusal to recognize their existence and deal with them honestly. This denial often takes the form of a bizarre belief that being of a certain age conveys "innocence," even though anyone with an ounce of common sense who has seen such monsters knows full well that they are the antithesis of innocence. Sooner or later, someone who is carrying concealed is going to be attacked by such a mob, and will be forced to defend himself. No one wants to be portrayed as having shot innocent "children," but I don't see any way to prevent it from happening. The age racket can be so unfair, and it isn't just unfair to adult victims of "children." At least adults walking down the street have the legal right to call 911 and press charges if they are attacked -- no matter how old the attacker is. But if you are a child, and you are attacked by other children, society turns a deaf ear, especially if you're attacked at (or on the way to or from) school. I've never been able to understand what I think is a grotesque double standard. Once again: ...what crime have students committed which requires they be legally required to be placed in hellholes of incarceration where they must face huge undisciplined thugs on a daily basis? Remember, teachers, like guards, can quit at any time. Unless a student's parents have money or influence within the system, he's stuck. His daily life is a struggle to survive in the cruel and violent world we call the public school.While there's nothing in the Constitution about it, the fact is that those we call "children" neither have the responsibilities that other citizens have, nor do they have the same legal rights as other citizens. They are placed in a special, off-limits, unaccountable category based on a naive meme of "innocence" -- even if they are the casually-spawned offspring of parasitic criminal elements who pass along their legacy of violence to their children beginning in infancy. And polite civilized, law-abiding society is then shocked when they commit crimes. Perhaps lawlessness promotes lawlessness. posted by Eric on 06.11.10 at 10:56 AM
Comments
Even without the idea of "innocence"... if we give every right adults have to every child, we have insoluble problems. Say your five year old doesn't want to go to bed on time... and calls the police alleging unlawful imprisonment when you put him to bed? I don't think that actual children lacking some of the rights adults have is bad... because they are, after all, children. The two states really are different. Seriously different. The problem here is treating little criminals like angels, and treating young adults like children (and a culture that tries its best to ensure they remain children). Sigivald · June 11, 2010 02:12 PM YES!!!! I work in a school, and have considerable sympathy for the truly innocent who can be preyed on with impunity, since their attackers are also young. If they fight back, they will be suspended. The rotten little thugs should be expelled. Give them a computer, and let them get their online, until they change their ways. LindaF · June 11, 2010 07:08 PM It's a problem with no good solutions. I personally blame it on the parents. Kids all start out basically the same. How they turn out is based on how they're raised. So since we can't hold the children responsible, I say we hold the parents responsible. It also doesn't help when the parents take the kid's side against the cops or schools. Parents need to pay a penalty. Then maybe they'd take their duties as parents seriously. The only problem with that is that, like everything else, they'd enforce it selectively. I also hate the idea of giving the gov't more power, but we don't handle too much stuff anymore, this is just another thing. Veeshir · June 12, 2010 12:36 AM For those who might not have heard of it by now, you might want to check out Michael Caine's Harry Brown. While the perps are older (in their teens), the situation seems rather similar. Casey · June 12, 2010 02:41 AM Once again the Philly court system shows these feral savages that there are no consequences no matter how barbaric their actions may be. Holding the 'parents' responsible would be an exercise in futility. These feral beasts come from a 'culture' where there are no boundaries, people reproduce irresponsibly, and live off the work of productive taxpayers and actually think they are entitled to this because of some so called 'crime' that happened centuries ago. I think it is time we start thinking about executing people for these savage crimes no matter what their age! j davis · June 12, 2010 10:25 AM Kids all start out basically the same. How they turn out is based on how they're raised. Uh, no. Parents can/should shape and civilize their children, but the "nurture" can only go so far. There are kids that grow up sane and successful inspite of really dysfunctional families and vice versa. I would say these "feral kids" actually have no "families" and I don't see why DCFS doesn't investigate each family and yank those kids away. Juvenile Detention would be a blessing for 'em (they'd get structure, school and psychiatric care). Darleen · June 12, 2010 08:39 PM Can we send these "kids" to Afghanistan? Joseph Hertzlinger · June 13, 2010 12:31 AM Post a comment
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Erika Holzer wrote a good novel, Eye For An Eye, dealing with this subject. I know it's just fiction, but after reading this latest travesty, her Victims Anonymous fantasy sounds appropriate.