More on TJ Lane

Recently I wrote about the TJ Lane case and how I believe that he should be tried as an adult. I don’t believe that Lane should be tried as an adult because juveniles who happened to be POC are tried as adults. He should be tried as an adult because he shot 5 people in cold blood and killed 3 of them. Let’s not forget his prior history of violence behavior.

Now some people have said that trying juveniles is unfair to begin with. I am inclined to disagree. If a 17 year old can murder his peers, I have no qualms with the system trying him as an adult. If that makes me cold-blooded and evil well…I guess I’m cold-blooded and evil in the eyes of some people. That’s fine.

Some juveniles (I would say 17 year olds and the occasional 16 year old) should be tried as adults I assert that TJ Lane is one of them. I also believe that TJ Lane garners sympathy. He’s white, male, small, boyish, and to top it all off, comes from a troubled home.

Many youth offenders come from troubled homes. They too have witnessed domestic violence and have one or both parents in prison. When their stories are told there is little sympathy for their plights. It reaffirms stereotypes. Well of course these youngsters are criminals. The proverbial apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

We see TJ Lane looking shy and pathetic and we feel sorry. It’s unfortunate that his parents could not provide for him. He should never have been the target of bullying and his school’s administration should have done more to protect him. But the law is also supposed to protect his victims and even-handedly distribute justice.

I hope that the prosecutors will follow up on their intent to charge him as an adult. Our sympathies for Lane should only run so far.

 

Thinking About Sandra Fluke and White Privilege

Recently on Twitter, I was told that I was divisive. Why? I stated that Sandra Fluke is privileged in our society. She is attractive, white, and female. And that has always garnered sympathy in our culture here in the United States.

Now this does not mean that Rush Limbaugh’s comments were not disgusting, putrid, and uncalled for. They sure as hell were. But Rush is always disgusting and putrid. What makes Sandra Fluke’s dose of Rush’s evil so bad that some of his sponsors are heading for the hills?

There is a history of protecting white women in American culture. Right or wrong it exists. And according to @somalirosek me stating that Ms. Fluke is privileged is just bad.

Where was the outrage when Rush told a black female caller to take the bone out of her nose? Where is the outrage and the withdrawal of sponsorship when he attacks the FLOTUS? Just because Mrs. Obama is in the public eye doesn’t mean that his comments are less offensive and should be ignored?

Offense is offense. If the rainstorm of hate that Sandra Fluke gracefully endure can put a sizable dent in Rush’s operation, I can swallow that. I only hope that there will be a similar backlash when someone like goes on the offensive and spews sexist, racist, and/or any other kind of ‘ist comment.

Note: I’ll be writing about this some more. When I have the time I’ll post images of the actual Tweets.

T.J. Lane Has Been Charged as a Juvenile.

 

A 17-year-old boy was charged with three juvenile counts of aggravated murder on Thursday for the shooting that left three people dead and two more wounded at an Ohio high school earlier this week.

Now let that sink in for a moment. 3 dead. 2 wounded.

I keep reading reports of how quiet he was. How he had such a tough upbringing.

As unfortunate as all that is, I believe that he needs to be tried as an adult. Young men of color are tried as adults constantly. Think I’m kidding? 67% of juveniles tried as adults are black.

And I’d venture to guess that these young people come from dysfunctional backgrounds as well. Were is the judicial sympathy for them. Where are the prosecutors who take into account the fact that some of these individuals grew up with parents in prison? In neighborhoods riddled with crime and poverty? Where was all the public scrutiny over charging 12 year old Christian Fernandez as an adult?

Whenever a young white male decides to shoot up his school, the media starts to talk about gun control. Folks can’t seem to figure out how such a travesty could occur. But young men of color garner no sympathy. They are demonized and pointed to as justification for stringent laws that unfairly penalize them.

I believe in justice. I believe that criminals should be tried and judged by a jury of their peers. But I believe in fairness.

This is not fairness. This is an embarrassment to our nation’s criminal justice system.