How many wrongs make a right?
In Jena, La, six teenage boys beat up another teenage boy. When DocBrain was in high school, stuff like that occasionally happened, although the odds were usually less than 6 to 1. This is certainly reprehensible behavior and should be punished.
The actions of these six boys has been defended on the basis of other wrongs that have happened in Jena before this episode. The concept apparently is that, with the weight of these prior episodes, these six boys could only react as they did, with no free will to act differently. It is as if the weight of the prior episodes made it impossible for these six boys to act as rational and good human beings, impossible to care about the welfare of one other boy. This dehumanization of these six boys does a disservice to them and their families, and makes them seem no different than brute animals, a pack of hungry dogs.
The actions of the adults in the community in prosecuting these young men seems over the top, but perhaps not out of scale compared to other school-based actions such as the one that caused a 6 year old to be expelled from school for bringing a plastic toy hatchet to show-and-tell day several years ago.
It is probably time for some mercy and balance in the approach to teenage boy roughness, taunting, and goading. Teens will push the envelope. Parents and teachers need to step up to the plate and provide direction, correction, discipline, and at times punishment.
DocBrain does not live in Jena and has no idea whether or not there are systematic biases among the people who live there. Whether or not such biases exist, it is always the duty of each person to treat others with kindness, respect, and courtesy. And to temper justice with mercy, especially when free will, regret, and remorse are clearly acknowledged in unhardened, young offenders.
The actions of these six boys has been defended on the basis of other wrongs that have happened in Jena before this episode. The concept apparently is that, with the weight of these prior episodes, these six boys could only react as they did, with no free will to act differently. It is as if the weight of the prior episodes made it impossible for these six boys to act as rational and good human beings, impossible to care about the welfare of one other boy. This dehumanization of these six boys does a disservice to them and their families, and makes them seem no different than brute animals, a pack of hungry dogs.
The actions of the adults in the community in prosecuting these young men seems over the top, but perhaps not out of scale compared to other school-based actions such as the one that caused a 6 year old to be expelled from school for bringing a plastic toy hatchet to show-and-tell day several years ago.
It is probably time for some mercy and balance in the approach to teenage boy roughness, taunting, and goading. Teens will push the envelope. Parents and teachers need to step up to the plate and provide direction, correction, discipline, and at times punishment.
DocBrain does not live in Jena and has no idea whether or not there are systematic biases among the people who live there. Whether or not such biases exist, it is always the duty of each person to treat others with kindness, respect, and courtesy. And to temper justice with mercy, especially when free will, regret, and remorse are clearly acknowledged in unhardened, young offenders.
posted by DocBrain at
9:10 PM
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