I scrolled down the page to the section on schools. There the latest headlines are posted. One said, third suspect arrested in slaying of Jacksonville teen. One might think the headline was just talking about the young life tragically cut short, but I think it had to do with the suspect as well.
Crimes down, just read the paper. The sheriff and editorial board take every opportunity to say so. The thing is why does it seem like crime committed by young people is at taking place at a rate higher than ever. I did a search of the Law and Disorder sections of the paper and this is what I came up found.
10/18, two nineteen year olds and a twenty year old arrested in shootings outside club.
10/15, Twenty-one year old found guilty of first-degree murder. 20 year old held on one million bond for attempted murder.
10/14, twenty year old convicted of ambush murder
10/13, twenty-one year old arrested for stuffing toddle in duffel bag, initially reported child missing. Nineteen year old charged with murder.
10/8, 18, 19 and 21 year old sought for robbery and kidnapping
10/7, two sixteen year olds and a seventeen year old convicted of murder over three dollars. Twenty-one year old arrested in murder over pot
10/6, twenty-one year old sought for aggravated assault and battery with a deadly weapon
9/30, nineteen year old arrested for shooting death
9/27, twenty-two year old shoots self after carjacking
9/24, nineteen year old arrested for murder and armed robbery, nineteen year old sentenced to 15 years for manslaughter
My original plan was to go back six months but after a month I was thoroughly depressed and stopped. Being thoroughly depressed I also don’t have the energy to do my usual song and dance to get to my point, so instead I will get right to it. These young people were in school, some when they committed the crimes, some not long before. Schools today ignore so much bad behavior, cursing, disrespect, heck even shoving a teacher doesn’t rate much now days. How many of these kids or their victims could have been saved if instead of paying lip service to discipline, we would have given kids consequences for their behavior and remember for a consequence to be effective it must be meaningful. Despite the districts cry to the contrary behavior isn’t better, the only thing we have gotten better at is ignoring it. And we ignore their behavior at our and our cities risk.
How many could we have saved?
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