[[desi diva]]

 What went through my mind when I read, “11 Year Old accused of killing father’s pregnant girlfriend”?

“HOLY SH**!”.

In fact, the news was of such nature, that I wasn’t really sure on what to think and how to react. I mean, how fast can you digest the news of an 11 year old shooting his father’s pregnant girlfriend? The first thing naturally that hits you is the boy’s tender age. When I was 11, my Barbie-gone-Pakistani was still trying to save my home-made miniature forest from the evil genital-less Ken. Forget about being able to shoot a gun, my parents were terrified to have fake guns around me, and always snatched them away whenever I approached one. 7 years later, I still haven’t managed to hold a real gun in my hand, again, all thanks to my parents.

So how on earth does an 11 year old manage to do so? How can an 11 year old get a gun, load it, point it at his daddy’s girlfriend and press the trigger? And even more astonishing? The kid went to school after he had shot his soon-to-be stepmom while she was asleep.

I am not aware of your opinion on this issue, but I was both disgusted, horrified and yes, even amazed. Disgusted and horrified because it’s an 11 year old kid killing someone and then being charged as an adult for double homicide, then amazed because…well… it’s an 11 year old kid killing and then being charged as an adult for double homicide. Am I guilty? You can’t blame me, can you? You have to admit, this is an interesting case, despite the mass tragedy.

The question that is on everyone’s lips is simply; how did this happen? Why did this happen? The so-called “rumor”/motive for the killing was jealousy. The child was jealous over the fact that his father was paying more attention to his girlfriend than him and thus, took the gun and coolly shot his soon-to-be stepmom to death.

This raises another question. How did the child get a hold of the gun?

The Daily News reports that the boy killed Friday morning “with his own youth-model shotgun.”

THE 11 YEAR OLD HAS HIS OWN GUN?!?!

I do not care if it is a youth model or an adult model, it’s still a shotgun and what on earth is an 11 year old boy doing with a shot gun?

This case does not only concern social issues in the USA, but also political issues. The social issues are most definitely the over-exposure of violence in our media today, but the political issue is absolutely the over-exposure of guns in the society.

The USA has a long history and tradition of gun use *coughALASKAcough* but this case really puts this tradition under a microscope, doesn’t it? One thing is when adults go around shooting each other, but it’s a whole lot different when you have children doing that.

Another big issue is the punishment. The kid is being charged as an adult. Yes, he’s being charged with double murders, and so, as I suspect, he’s going away for a long, long time. Fair? I honestly don’t know.

This case reminds me of another some years back. Two boys, both 10 I think,  in England were charged with the murder of a small two year old child. The two boys had lured the child from his mother and taken him to a train track where they beat him to death (among other many other cruel things) with a stone. Then they put his dead body over a railway track so..well, I don’t need to say more. The body was discovered and yes, the body had been run over by a train. The whole country was in uproar and some even wanted the boys executed. They were put into juvenile jail, jail, and then in 2001 released under a new identity, and were forced to cut contact with each other.  To this day, their whereabouts have been kept secret because vigilantes never die. Rumors of course surfaced, but none were confirmed.  

 

Is that fair? In many people’s eyes, no. The two should have spent the rest of their lives in jail. And police confirmed that they had it all planned. They went to the mall with the plan of abducting a child. Now that is scary.

 And the two boys weren’t the only “little killers”. In 1994, Eric Smith, 13, was the killer of a 4 year old boy. Mary Bell, 10, killed her playmates with no remorse. Andrew Golden, 11, gunned down 15 kids in school. And the worst part? The list goes on.

 

 

So WHY do children kill? How can a child kill? It’s a question that we ask and cannot come to a conclusion. My mother said interestingly, “We have to see the behavior, the past of the child. Many of these young killers have a troubling history. Either they are mocked at school, come from broken families or some other psychological factor plays a role in the way they act”.

True, but does that make them killers? I was bullied heavily in primary school, but it’s not like I picked up a gun and killed my bullies.

My mother agrees. This is where her and many others’ infamous reason comes in. “The child was born evil”.

Now, I’m quiet certain that there is no such thing as an “evil-gene”, and I’ve always assumed the people are born with a clean slate. Certain stories of these young killers however, makes me doubt myself at times. Maybe some children are born evil. After all, how can you justify a 10 year old killing her playmates with no remorse what-so-ever? Late development? Over-exposure of violence?

The case of little killers has been an issue for a long time, and sadly, it’s becoming more common. The age of killers is falling and it is not limited to “personal” crimes anymore. Gangs have young followers and you will find children right down to the age of 13 and 14 killing people in the name of their gang.

So where do we go from here?   

I don’t know. Usually I come forth with some sort of conclusion, but young killers is very, very tricky. All I can say is that each case should be treated individually and as for punishment, again, it needs to be treated different from case to case.

Blaming everything on the media can be easy, but it isn’t always correct. Yes, music, movies and games have an affect on children, but some of the time, parents are responsible for what their children are exposed to, and it’s their duty to raise their children in a safe and moral environment. It’s their responsibility to make sure their child learns the vital lessons about compassion, morality and respect. Most of the time, the children whom have not fully learnt that, are usually vulnerable to crime.

We live in a world where children are no longer children. Parents can do as much as they can, but they cannot keep their child protected from the world forever. We are moving so fast, that we cannot keep up ourselves. We have forgotten about limits and boundaries, and because the world is changing ever so rapidly, the parents who teach their children about mercy, compassion and respect are afraid that their child will be walked over, misused and abused. I know, because my mother fears the same thing.

It’s time to take a break, and seriously re-evaluate not only our culture and society today, but also our goals. We need to, because if this rate continues, then you better start watching out for children. Because, in classic ghetto slang style;

“GOD DAMN, THEM MOTHERFU****S COULD KILL YOU NI**A!”

I still want kids, so I think I’m going to stop writing and reading more on this issue now. If you, however, still want to read more on this topic go to http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/young/index.html . It’s a library of a few selected cases of young killers. But I warned you okay? So don’t come blaming me, “SEE MAMASHAAL. BECAUSE OF YOU, I DON’T WANT KIDS ANYMORE, AND NOW I’M CHILD-LESS”. 

To make sure, here is something that might make you want to have kids again;

That’s all I have to say about this.

What about you?

Until next time,

Mamashaal (( desi diva ))