Teenagers should be tried as adults in court of law.

HI there again! My Response are below: Your acknowledgement that that the frontal lobe (responsible for morality) is not fully developed at 18, is evidence that contradicts with your assertion that adolescents know the different between right and wrong. I will also beg to differ about the location of our personality in the brain; it is very much so 'housed' in the frontal lobe. I have posted the link to the most succinct article I could find: (http://biology.about.com....) to show that the creation of personality is a construction of higher reasoning. But wherever the brain centers allocated to morality and reasoning, I"m sure we both agree that they will ultimately interact and guide our actions. Secondly I am not saying that adults are 'unteachable' I am making (or attempting to make) the point that the usage of 'teach' is confusing in regards to this argument, because it implies you're trying to teach the morality that you claimed teens already possess. Learning that you are accountable, is fundamental moral awareness that arises whether you're punished or not. you should know an act is wrong, your moral guide/conscience tells you, so stiffer punishment doesn't even enter in as far as accountability when the personality/morality is fully developed. Furthermore, the adult justice system does not aim to teach, even in the case of adults. It assumes that the defendant already knows (right and wrong) and so only pursues reparations for damages to society. YOU: Being able to manipulate the system has nothing to do with accountability. Being able to manipulate the system lets teen criminals with ill intentions carry out these premeditated crimes. MOI: ahhh... I clearly missed the point you were making. I'm with you now...lol YOU: The law was the one who took the danger away from those who could be hurt. Trying teens as adult would do just that. Since the JV system doesn't always punish those threats the way they should be punished. MOI: So you see the teen as the danger, instead of the child with dangerous behaviors.... A bit dark, but Interesting... YOU: Until that point, teenagers should be able to receive adult punishments for very violent crimes in order to protect the people. Just because they have a sympathy story doesn't mean we can ignore the crime. Do you really want to take the chance of accidentally potentially not punishing the next terrorist? Do we really want to put others at risk? MOI: I completely sympathize with your point of view, especially when you put it in terms of the risk to society. But I would still beg your consideration of the impressionability of teens, and the rate of recidivism which is alarming for incarcerated adults, and that justice system is seriously lacking in regard to the rehabilitation and reintegration of individuals, which is reflected in the many proposals for prison reform. All of the measures/implementations done in the name of Crime prevention, stiffer sentences, offender registries, hangun carry permits etc., do little to offer sufficient assurance for the citizen Or dissuasIon for offenders. I think trying teens as adults betrays our lack of faith in society's ability to rehabilitate these individuals. And lastly it all comes down to standing definitions. If 18 is the agreed upon marker of adulthood, why can't we allow them to be tried as children? But if they can incurr adult level accountability for the negative actions, why cant kids who perform like productive/responsible adults incurr adult liberties for positive actions? Give the them driver's license instead of the vatious permit levels, the right to vote, Remove the curfews, grant them emancipation, or even allow them to consume alcohol in the company of an adult... Lol