Preaching to the choir

If you really want to depress yourself, spend a few days reading comments on articles about a 15 year-old girl charged with murdering a 9 year-old girl.  The state alleges that the suspect dug two graves in anticipation of killing someone.  She allegedly didn't target her victim for anything in particular beyond opportunity.  According to the police, the girl just wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone.  A judge has now ruled she will be tried for 1st degree murder as an adult because the state of Missouri lacks any facilities to handle a juvenile defendant like her. 

Apparently I like to torture myself, because I have been unable to keep myself from finding articles about this story and reading the comments.  Reading how heartless, cold-blooded, and vengeful grown adults can be towards an obviously very troubled teenager makes me want to bury myself in my bed and hide in despair.  Numerous commenters are ready to "stick a needle" in her arm (or hang her or put a $.50 bullet in her, etc.) without hearing  or reading anything more than the information available in the first week after the murder.  These folks aren't deterred no matter how many point out that a 15 year-old can't be executed.

One kind-hearted commenter dared to write that it was unfortunate this girl would be placed in an adult facility because she would be used and abused by the adult inmates.  In response, another asked what the problem with that was, with a tone suggesting that the responder was somewhat eagerly anticipating this girl's hellish life at the hands of fellow inmates.  Most posters had no sympathy whatsoever for the suspect, no thought that it's at least a little tragic that someone so young could have her life so horribly, and probably permanently, interrupted.  And they had no interest in trying to get to the root of her problems or trying to fix her.  They're just ready to throw this girl away while calling her vicious names.  And they might not mind getting a good kick, or at least a solid spit, in at her on her way.

It makes me want to cry.  I don't ever want to get to the point of losing hope that any and every troubled child can be reached.  I don't ever want to get to the point of thinking it's not even worth trying.  I admit from the initial reports, if they are to be believed (and we all know we probably shouldn't believe the initial reports, don't we?), sound very troubling.  Maybe there truly are children who are just bad seeds and need to be locked away forever, but that thought is just too depressing to give in to.  I sincerely hope that the people actually handling this girl's case won't be quite so willing just to throw her away, though from the early actions of the prosecution and the judge's ruling on adult certification the signs aren't that good.