Any second
With the stroke of a pen
14 becomes 18 or 21
A judge or grand jury decides a child who cannot
make the simplest choices
about school, sexual behavior, or how to live his or her own life is an adult.
Yes, recklessly driving a car, being chased and causing an accident may result in a tragic
death.
A moment of passion with a gun
ends forever the lives of one’s parents or someone else.
Another decade for the brain to mature
Yet, with the stoke of a pen we will sentence a boy or girl to a lifetime of prison.
We call it justice and for a moment perhaps those grieving feel better.
At what cost this momentary pretense of justice?
What cost to lose the potential of this person?
What cost financially to incarcerate someone for many decades?
What cost to indulge ourselves in the delusion that this could not be our child?
If 14 can become the age of consent please allow the 14 year old to:
make their own decision to quit school
obtain a driver’s license
have sex with whom they choose.
drink alcohol
Justice?
What difference from my thoughtless behavior which nearly resulted in the death of someone?
What difference from my split second miss?
The absence of a functioning gun?
The kitchen knives all sent out for sharpening.
We would like to think we would never ever.
That somehow we are different.
Kinder
Calmer
Always rational
Always part of the solution and never part of the problem.
The truth is we could have been labeled adults at 14.
Our son or daughter could be declared instant adults.
The remaining decades of lives given for the illusion of justice
We could
any second now.
Any second.
With the stroke of a pen
14 becomes 18 or 21
A judge or grand jury decides a child who cannot
make the simplest choices
about school, sexual behavior, or how to live his or her own life is an adult.
Yes, recklessly driving a car, being chased and causing an accident may result in a tragic
death.
A moment of passion with a gun
ends forever the lives of one’s parents or someone else.
Another decade for the brain to mature
Yet, with the stoke of a pen we will sentence a boy or girl to a lifetime of prison.
We call it justice and for a moment perhaps those grieving feel better.
At what cost this momentary pretense of justice?
What cost to lose the potential of this person?
What cost financially to incarcerate someone for many decades?
What cost to indulge ourselves in the delusion that this could not be our child?
If 14 can become the age of consent please allow the 14 year old to:
make their own decision to quit school
obtain a driver’s license
have sex with whom they choose.
drink alcohol
Justice?
What difference from my thoughtless behavior which nearly resulted in the death of someone?
What difference from my split second miss?
The absence of a functioning gun?
The kitchen knives all sent out for sharpening.
We would like to think we would never ever.
That somehow we are different.
Kinder
Calmer
Always rational
Always part of the solution and never part of the problem.
The truth is we could have been labeled adults at 14.
Our son or daughter could be declared instant adults.
The remaining decades of lives given for the illusion of justice
We could
any second now.
Any second.
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