Why does Harper want to punish teen defendants?

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Karen C

There was a time - I remember it - when if a kid was bad, his parents could discipline him. Unfortunately, some parents went too far and discipline turned into abuse - I also remember that. So our government went into reaction mode and outlawed parental discipline. We have a complete reversal of normal and natural behaviour. And some people are dumb enough to think that was the answer. It wasn't. Now we have children threatening their parents with the police if they try to correct their behaviour. We have little kids growing into teens who have nowhere to go but up to higher rates of threat than calling the cops. Now they think they can do anything they want with impunity. For the most part, they are right. And child abuse has not been erased. It is still out there.

I am not saying abuse is ok. In fact having been on the receiving end of an ironing cord which is abuse, I know it is not. But that doesn't mean it is ok for a kid to tell you to F yourself and get away with it either.

They say Harper has an IQ of 131. It must be in one specific area because it sure is not evident with his law of putting kids in jail. It would have been better to put parenting back in the hands of parents with logical rules for extremes. A lot less kids will grow up to break laws if they are made to live within reasonable rules in the first place. You cannot bring up a kid with out teaching him/her some limits and if you don't, a goodly number of them will grow up knowing no rules at all and the chances of them breaking a law will just become a natural progression.

Right now parents cannot discipline kids, teachers cannot discipline, church does not have the same standing it once did so there is no discipline inspired from that quarter either. Here is a news flash for those who think Harper has the answer. He doesn't! But we will always have jobs building jails and manning jails and catching people to put in jails with this new law. And recatch the bad guys who learn nothing in jail but how to break more laws and get probably away with it.

Poverty is not the reason kids steal. Lack of guidance leads to lack of respect for people, rules, laws etc etc. Lack of guidance in their early years is the reason kids steal. Living with no rules is Anarchy. Living with Draconian rules is Dictatorship and ... well Draconian. There is a middle road. Why can't we find it?

vix

If a 14 year old murders someone then I think they should go to jail for it. If you don't punish these kids, then they're just going to think that they'll get away with this stuff. Maybe prison isn't always the best answer, but I think if someone is a threat, then they should be locked up.
I don't like Harper either but people out there keep voting for him.

MasterPython

If you are killing people or committing other serious crimes at 14 what are the chances that you will go on to live a productive life? And with those odds why should they be free to endanger the lives of others? Rehabilitation as we know it does not work, just look at the re-offence rate. We might as well just warehouse people until they become too old, feeble or dead to be a threat to society.

Your idea would not work. It is illegal to force prisomers to learn or work.

Fred C

Juvenile crime is increasing unchecked, and the violence is the worst it has ever been. The present system is a joke, kids know nothing much is going to happen if they steal cars and drive them into the river, or torch them and send them into buildings, or get in gangs and do break-in jobs and beat other kids up.
The system has to change so that kids learn there are consequences. Too many of them end up with adult records because they didn't learn anything from being caught stealing a car and basically scolded and asked to not do it again.

old lady

Because at the moment, juvenile justice is an oxymoron. Kids who are old enough to know better are getting away with murder - and at times, that is literal, not figurative.
Kids don't always commit crimes because they are poor. That's a serious misconception. Many of the kids who steal cars aren't old enough to drive. It has nothing to do with their financial status.

cutie_62003

because kids think that if they do a crime and get away with it they can continue doing criminal things. They need to be punished for their actions.

*ajidamoon* the Eh team

Are you trying to say that by 14 years old you did not know right from wrong? Puh-lease. Too many teens these days partake in criminal activities, as they know the punishments are a slap on the wrist. We are taught from a young age here in Canada, "if you do the crime, you've got to do the time" but these teens are getting away with community service, small fines, and minimal juvenile sentences in halfway houses.....where they are allowed out in public, and even to the movies. Some punishment. I have worked with teens through Child and Family Services, I was a volunteer there for years. Teens do not steal cars or commit other crimes to "fight the establishment". They do them out of boredom, the thrill, and to impress friends. If I would have pulled anything like teens do these days growing up, I would have gotten my *** kicked by my parents, so therefore, I knew better. Parents need to regain the control they have lost. They live in fear of their kids, in fear of FACS, in fear of teachers thinking they are abusive. There is a difference between abuse and a good, old fashioned smack to keep you in line. Either parents need to be able to get control back of their children from government agencies, or a law needs to be brought in to stop coddling those that want to act like criminals. As these cases will still be decided in family court, just carrying harsher punishments, there is room for the guidelines to be flexible, and be applied on a case by case basis. I also think a "three strike" law should be implemented. Sure, every teen can be subject to a bad judgment call, but repeated run ins with the law......you know they are not learning, and need a harsher punishment.

And those that commit murder or another serious crime causing bodily harm.....YES, even vehicular manslaughter, need to receive a prison sentence. But I am sure if you do a little googleing, you will find Canada's prisons to be nothing like that of the US.

Karen L

Might be an improvement over what we have now, which is a system where the kids know they can do anything without penalty. And sometimes they are encouraged to steal cars by older people who know the kids can get away with it. I doubt if many of the kids who steal cars are doing it for money they need. They're doing it for fun, and because they aren't going to suffer any consequences there's no downside. I'm afraid that for many of them, it's too late to improve their upbringing by the time they're in their teens. That has to start way earlier.

phds190

Because Haper is a stupid moron and I can't wait until he is out of office. I agree with what you say. Teens are still growing, and if they are in jail that early, then they will be messed up for life. Haper just needs to **** off and die.

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