The African proverb says: “It takes a whole village to raise a child!”

A few years ago, our then – First Lady, Hilary Clinton made this a common, “household” phrase. Unfortunately, it turned out to be wasted on this nation as just so much political rhetoric!

For some reason, this nation of working class citizens cannot seem to rise up against the practice of applying lenient standards to the children of the privileged upper class, while viewing the lower classes as expendable. It should be painfully obvious to all that it’s high time this changes.

Children are being adjudicated as adults, sentenced to death , and even executed at an alarming rate. It should shock the sense of morality of any reasonable person for even one juvenile to be tried as an adult and face the death penalty, much less , be executed!

Police interrogation tactics have fast become overwhelming and overbearing by nature, even to an adult – even those familiar with the interrogation practices, Despite this common knowledge judges are still allowing “confessions” even those of the shadiest circumstances – by juveniles to be admitted into evidence, and used to send children to their deaths.

All you have to do is pick up a newspaper or turn on the evening news to see that juveniles are committing some truly chilling acts. No-one offers the argument that they should go undisciplined. Nor does any reasonable person claims they should be given a “time-out”, or sent to their rooms without supper. However, the answer cannot be simply throw them away for the rest of their life, and certainly not killing them!

I don’t claim to have the answer. There is no easy answer. But where is the “village”.

Has it occurred to anyone else that it takes the consent of that same village it takes to raise a child to kill that child. Indifference and inaction equals consent in the eyes of politicians !!! It’s time to stand together and protect the youth.

Go ahead and trust politicians with the fate of your young. Minors cannot vote, and pay no taxes. If they are not members of the “blue-blooded elite”, they are nothing more that grease for the wheels of the government machine. The same politicians that shake your hand, smiles and winds at you to get your vote has no qualms with deciding the fate of your wayward teen.

It’s a matter of fact he will use your very own tax dollars to prosecute, then execute your child.

Taurus J. Carroll

written 2002

Something to think about

Words from death row......

For a full list of articles written by Juveniles on Alabama's Death Row, go to the complete list of titles at Stories.