When Kids Kill: Ryan John

When you have the desire to do something that involves giving your opinion, its because you feel people will enjoy hearing your perspective.   Weather the reading audience agrees or disagrees, the fun is in the research, critical thought and conclusion you find yourself at when thinking about a particular subject.   But, I can't possibly give my opinion on the fate of a twelve year boy who did something I can only hope, but don't know, one day he will wholeheartedly regret. 
 
I watch that jail show on MSNBC called "Locked-Up."  Honestly, it seems like a lot of those guys just need a hug and some sort of self esteem booster.  I appears to be troubled personality's surrounded by other troubled personalities in an environment where those troubled personality traits are earning respect among other inmates, or adding to your social functionality.  Either way, you're wasting life away when you're behind bars.  I really don't think I'd feel comfortable committing an eleven year old boy to that destiny.  I would say in some situations its appropriate to put aside the generalized rigidness of the law to consider a case on an individual basis.  Obviously I would think both sides of the law should take a close look at his personality (with the understanding that his behavior maybe distorted and vulnerable to the constant scrutiny he's subjected to).  I think I'd be in favor of putting him into a juvenile detention center with social rehab, education and other life skills training so he can live the next sixty or so years of his life as a normal citizen.  However, he didn't kill anyone I know, and if he did, the pain I feel could override any ounce of compassion I might have. 
 
I still tend to think that the still very much developing mind of an eleven year boy who competitively kills animals for sport was confused in his understanding of human life versus animal life and thought the art of killing was universally consequential. Who knows, maybe he thought the pride he felt and adulation from others in the woods after he skillfully shot an animal would carry over into real life.  He sounds like he maintained an above average status among his peers, so maybe he had a narcissistic personality and thought he could do no wrong, even if it was killing his step-mother.  I don't know.  Worst case scenario, he is tried as a juvenile, has a true sociopath personality, and any shot at rehabilitation will only temporarily stunt his inclination towards violence.   Like most things we write about, we don't really know.
 
I'm inclined to say, Pennsylvania should and will try him as a juvenile.