Reply #49: I've devoted my professional life to teenagers [View All]

[Nevernose]

I'm a high school teacher. A good one, too, the kind of teacher that kids not only like, but that kids learn a lot from.

Before that, I worked for Juvenile Probation as a "juvenile services assistant" -- kind of a part-time probation officer. Interview the client, assess the risk to the community, maybe monitor them, and -- most importantly -- counsel them. Find them the services they need. HELP them. When it came time to get a job as a full time PO, I chose to teach, instead. It pays less than half of what a PO makes, but my soul is safe. I'm enough of a bleeding heart liberal to feel bad for the kids in trouble, but enough of a conservative to know that 99% really are guilty as hell.

The whole point of differentiating between juveniles and adults is that children can and do change. Even children that pull triggers. Children make horrible mistakes, too, for reasons that adults can't even comprehend -- mistakes like shooting a kid because of his sexual orientation. And then there's the fact that this kid won't be the same person at 25 that he was at 14. He's only had pubic hair for six months, fer crissakes. He's a boy.

Justice without mercy is merely revenge.

On Tuesday, my class will be talking about this case. Hopefully a lot of other classes have and will talk about this case. Hopefully this child's death can change a few hearts or at least open a few eyes. Hopefully he didn't have to die in vain.

On Edit: The amount of homophobia I confront everyday in high schools is staggering. I see very little racism, but homophobia? It's really disturbing.