I’ve noticed this trend over the last couple of years as the children of the past grew up and became the adults we see today. The children who grew up under the iron fist of reality sooo desperately want to act based on their emotions rather than the facts.
It was then when childhood discipline meant a good beating, it was then when tough love was actually seen as love and not abuse. Well, now that the kids with thin skin are grown up, they’re tryin’ to change the way things work without even knowing the meaning of what it is they’re pushin’ for.
I just found this article stating that Scottish courts are pushing to keep “immature” 25 year olds outta jail based on the claim that peoples’ brains aren’t fully developed until they’re around 25 or 30. It may seem outrageous to jail people who don’t even know what they’re doin’, right?
BUT I think it’d do us all some good to just sit and use our brains for once. What message would the world send out by having such a lax enforcement of law on its young citizens? I’m sure that even with an underdeveloped brain, 18-25 year olds can still manage to survive in the real world and connect two and two together enough to realize whether they’re doing something legal or illegal. The laws we have are in place for a reason. Even if we don’t agree with them, we have to abide by them. That’s just the way things work. Follow the rules, or end up in the slammer.
Things are the way they are for a reason. We can’t just give out literal ‘get outta jail free’ cards to people just because they don’t have enough life experience under their belts. In fact, by sending criminals under 25 to jail, we’re givin’ them a life experience that they can either reject or learn from.
If they don’t go to jail and “get help” instead, what kind of consequence are they facing? What if some kid bullies and beats up another kid to the point of hospitalization? The victim suffers physical and long-term emotional damage in addition to a hospital bill while the other kid stays out of jail and gets therapy or something. What kind of consequence is that? What kind of justice does that kid get? We have to keep the victims in mind when dealing with criminals.
How crazy would it be if a 24 year old got away with robbery just because his “brain wasn’t fully developed” anyhow?
One more thing. How is it that our kids are old enough to vote, smoke, drink, have sex, drive, AND go to war, but they apparently aren’t old enough to go to jail? If brains aren’t fully developed until 25-30 years of age, then what makes the youth competent enough to do literally everything else? All of the aforementioned things that 18 year olds can partake in are serious activities and responsibilities.
Why would we send kids to fight in wars but not deem them mentally responsible? Of course people under 25 are immature. That’s just the way things are. But we won’t be doing them or this society any favors by cutting ’em loads of slack.
A lot of people in charge are trying to change the system they grew up in, which I acknowledge. But there are just some things you can’t change. No matter how many times you wish there were no real consequences to your actions, there always will be.
Always.
Ranch.
…
Rosemary, my secretary, came into my office soon after I finished writing this.
She asked to read my post, as she has everyday for the last few weeks since I’ve started this rather personal blog. And everyday she asks I say no. I have no need to share my thoughts with anybody but myself. I just write to organize my thoughts and to put my constantly running mind at ease.
I don’t know why I chose to say yes today.
At first she was bright-eyed. Perhaps expecting me to be some huge softie deep down inside as if I were some kinda cliche.
But as she read on, the light died in her eyes, and I noticed her once warm demeanor turn cold.
Trembling, she mumbled something. I asked her to repeat what she said.
She mumbled again, and I demanded that she repeat what she said.
She finally snapped and remarked, “I never truly thought you to be a cruel, cruel man until now.”
And she left in tears.
Typically, when she disagrees with me, I don’t care.
I don’t know why I cared today.
I never thought myself to be cruel either…I thought myself to be a realist. To be the guy who just says the truth- nothin’ more, nothin’ less. Life has gotten easier for me since I just accepted that things are the way they are, since I’ve accepted the world’s injustices without mourning over ’em.
No matter how many times the world proves itself to be cruel and unjust to Rosemary, she keeps fighting and believing in what her heart tells her. The girl, in the time that I’ve known her, has always looked at the brighter side of things. She’s the kind of person who just keeps swimming no matter how deep the water gets. No matter how much easier it would be to let go and fall under cascades of dark water, she keeps kickin’.
I don’t have her drive. At the end of the day, I have no one to blame for the way my life has gone but myself. Throughout my life, I followed my father’s orders. And as soon as I had the chance to live for myself, I just followed my late wife’s orders instead. And in the time after that, I haven’t developed a backbone. I haven’t gotten stronger- I’ve just given up on myself.
Maybe things aren’t just the way they are. Maybe we just let cycles of injustice, cruelty, and pain repeat itself because we just give in to the weight of history, tradition, and fear. Maybe I need to start going against the tide, and help Rosemary swim to shore.
If we all help and look after each other, we’ll have a better chance of making it out of the ocean of life in the end.
In that case, there’s a lot of work to be done. Maybe even starting with keeping kids outta jail.
Ranch.
Ranch's Records 