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Re: Judge to decide if 9-year-old faces rape trial

By
Real Estate Agent with Florida Property Experts
  Lisa Hill's Real Estate Blog. We're Way Off Topic Today! BREAKING NEWS: What's Your Opinion?

parentingWell now I've gone and done it. I'm veering waaayyy off-topic in regards to real estate today! Early this morning I stumbled across a bit of news located at the Boston Globe, and was leaving a comment via Digg. After writing the equivalent of a blog, I decided "what the heck... I may as well go ahead and just blog it". So we're NOT discussing real estate in this post; but rather a disturbing occurrence that's unfolding in Utah right now. (I've already Tweeted it and posted it on Facebook... I may as well go all out)

So here it is; for you news hounds out there... "boston.com — PHOENIX—A 10-year-old boy charged in the alleged gang-rape of an 8-year-old Liberian girl cried in an Arizona courtroom Monday as his schoolteacher testified that he rarely did his homework and often got into fights with other students...."

I'm sure we'll have a wide variety of view points on this, as I've already seen in the Digg.com comments section on this story !  So here's my perspective...

"My parents knew where I was at all times at that age. And I definitely knew right from wrong. This is just depravity, and parents ARE responsible for how they raise their children (to a certain age). This boy was NOT given the foundation and appropriate child-rearing/attention and interaction of loving, competent parents.

Add to that, what sounds like the culture/acceptable behavior among people whose views are drastically different from North American laws and expectations, and we have more of the erosion of our "core values". WE, the North American people, are supposed to be a "civilized" nation. In our willingness to allow others to move to OUR country, so that they too can experience freedom, we are allowing a slow deterioration of these freedoms. Doesn't anyone look past the "right now", and consider the ramifications of what the outcome of this case will have on our future?

Just as every criminal trial does, the actions and decisions of the attorneys, civil servants, and judges in these cases, are contributing to the future freedom, or degradation of this country. They have much investigating to do, and hard decisions to make. I hope and pray that they use wisdom in their final decisions with these children and adults.

I say all this while bearing in mind that I only have the information that has been provided by the mainstream media. Obviously, there could be entire reports that are not factual; which is why the authorities in charge of these children and their parents have much investigating to do before their final decisions are made. I can only hope and pray that they act with wisdom that will serve to educate, discipline, and promote the safety and freedoms of U.S. citizens both now and in the future."

So now you have my perspective. What's yours? ... You may have to re-blog and/or blog and link-back on this one. There is no short and simple answer.

Anyone up for a lively discussion today? (Just leave out the drama.. PLEASE!)

Lisa Hill Daytona Beach Realtor and Native

 

 

 

 

 

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Comments(7)

Gary L. Waters Broker Associate, Bucci Realty
Bucci Realty, Inc. - Melbourne, FL
Eighteen Years Experience in Brevard County

Leave out the drama.....please! OK, I am not a drama type but this is disturbing. Even a kid of this age SHOULD KNOW right from wrong. Sounds like the parents should be held accountable and the children raised by someone else...Of course this is a nation that seems to think Roman Polanski was not wrong when he allegedly raped a 13 year old!

Sep 30, 2009 01:21 AM
JL Boney, III
Coldwell Banker - Columbia, SC
Columbia, SC Real Estate

It seems to me that every so often you get to see a story that makes you really wonder what on Earth this world is coming to, and this is one of them.

Sep 30, 2009 02:42 AM
Lisa Hill
Florida Property Experts - Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Beach Real Estate

Gary- I agree about the accountability. I couldn't believe some of the comments on digg.com!

JL- It makes me wish Jesus would get here ASAP!

Sep 30, 2009 04:03 PM
Kathy Clulow
Uxbridge, ON
Trusted For Experience - Respected For Results

Lisa - Both my husband and I were raised in very strict households so I agree with your statement

"My parents knew where I was at all times at that age. And I definitely knew right from wrong."

Unfortunately not everyone believes in exercising some control over their offspring.

They say we are the product of heredity and our environment.

Some folks are in such a rush to have it all much earlier than their parents that they have put society as we knew it growing up at risk. These children are a product of an environment we allowed others to create.

 

Oct 01, 2009 11:11 AM
William Feela
WHISPERING PINES REALTY - North Branch, MN
Realtor, Whispering Pines Realty 651-674-5999 No.

Now doesn't this make you wonder what the parents are like.  What are they allowing the kids to watch and see and what age group is he hanging around.  Of course if the parent tries to discliplin the child, they go to jail because of abuse.  NO win in some cases.  At any  rate...it is still disturbing!

Oct 01, 2009 01:56 PM
Lisa Hill
Florida Property Experts - Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Beach Real Estate

Kathy & William- This still leaves the question of whether or not a 9 year old child should be tried as an adult. At that age, we'll probably all agree that the parents are to blame. And my own knee-jerk reaction is to try the kid as an adult. But then he's in "the system" that continually churns out more criminals. The child needs to be entrenched in an entirely different environment, where he would be taught completely different morals, and the bottom line... right from wrong. But does that kind of system even exist?

Oct 02, 2009 09:35 PM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten
HomeSmart Real Estate - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

Lisa - I live in Phoenix and it was very disturbing news to me as well. And as the story unfolded it got more bizarre. Very unuusal cultural stuff going on with this case.  They flew in somebody from their country to sort it all out.  Apparently the parents shunned the poor little girl. I believe there were a number of young boys involved. Very sad sad sad.  I haven't heard anything more in several weeks or so.

Oct 08, 2009 11:57 PM