‘I Am Outraged, and You Should Be Too!’

Latest

Girl protesting guns following San Antonio school shooting in 2022.Credit: Teresa Gutierrez

I am outraged and appalled that four more persons were killed in a school shooting. I am outraged and appalled that the 14-year-old child who shot and killed four people at his school and wounded several others is going to be treated as an adult in the criminal justice system.

Scientists tell us that young people’s brains are not fully developed until about the age of 24.  This child still has 10 more years of development before becoming fully mature, yet the courts will try him and no doubt convict him and send him to prison for the rest of his life.  

According to recent news stories, he experienced a lot of turmoil at home and school and had asked for help with his mental health.  But we live in a country whose health care system is based on private profit and not human need, so if a young person needs mental health help, few will be able to afford it or access it.  We also live in a country awash in assault rifles designed to kill people because the gun lobby is so powerful they can buy politicians, particularly right-wing ones.

Prison is all about punishment, never rehabilitation.  That system is violent and inhumane, with its further punishments of humiliation and solitary confinement.  Can you imagine an immature, emotionally fragile teenager forced to live in this environment?  It’s a form of torture and should never be allowed.

Instead of schools spending their precious resources on hiring cops who are supposed to keep students safe from attack but often don’t, we should be spending it on hiring more counselors and mental health professionals to help heal the trauma so many young people face today in our violent culture.

If we can organize around our collective human needs, we can offer young people a hopeful future instead of the hopelessness many of them feel today.

+ Articles by this author

Free to republish but please credit the People's Tribune. Visit us at www.peoplestribune.org, email peoplestribune@gmail.com, or call 773-486-3551.

The People’s Tribune brings you articles written by individuals or organizations, along with our own reporting. Bylined articles reflect the views of the authors. Unsigned articles reflect the views of the editorial board. Please credit the source when sharing: ©2024 peoplestribune.org. Please donate to help us keep bringing you voices of the movement. Click here. We’re all volunteer, no paid staff.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Featured

Pregnant Teen Died: Seeks Care in Three Texas Emergency Rooms

Nevaeh Crain cried in pain, too weak to walk, blood staining her thighs. Vomiting and feverish at her baby shower, the teen went to two different emergency rooms, returning home, worse than before. Pregnant women have become untouchables.

No, Immigration Is Not Making Housing Less Affordable

Despite politicians' claims to the contrary, immigration is not making housing unaffordable. In fact, immigration can be part of the solution.

Make Your Vote Count 

This 2024 election is gaining on us and the pressure to get to the ballot box is intense and...

Michigan’s Prescient Lesson: Vote While You Still Can!!! 

Michigan's non-elected Emergency Manager dictatorship made Flint's water crisis possible. Pay attention to the danger of losing our Democratic rights as we’ve known them in this election. Vote while you still can!

US Doctors Tell Biden, Harris They ‘Witnessed Crimes Beyond Comprehension’ in Gaza

US doctors who visited Gaza tell Biden, Harris they've never seen such horrific injuries, on such a massive scale, with so few resources, that our bombs are cutting down women and children, and that a ceasefire must be imposed.

More from the People's Tribune