Blog Reflection Quarter 4

Over this past year, I think I have evolved as a blogger. Fourth quarter, I have blogged about topics that relate to our class discussions and about my junior theme experience. Blogging has become not an assignment (as it started off as first quarter), but a way for me to think critically and reflect on our society and discussions we have in class, and stay updated on current events. I definitely feel more comfortable blogging now as opposed to first quarter.
My favorite blog post this quarter is "Facebook...for first graders" (5/21). Although I did not have as many blogs fourth quarter as previous quarters, I really liked this blog both because it pertains to the discussions we've had in class on the media and technological changes in our society, and because I actually felt very strongly about the topic. I think the idea of social networking for young children is very relevant and a little scary.
Overall, I have really enjoyed learning how to blog and become comfortable blogging :)

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Cruel and Unusual Punishment?


In light of the civil liberties discussions we have been having in class, I read an interesting article, "Weighing Life in Prison For Youths Who Didn't Kill", that touches upon this subject. In Florida, 77 people are serving a life in prison with no opportunity for parole because of crimes they committed as juveniles, none of them murder. Two of these prisoners (one raped a woman and the other committed an armed burglary) are going to appeal in court on Monday, saying that they should not be sentenced to die in prison for a crime other than a homicide because the Eight Amendment bans cruel and unusual punishment. Judges and state representatives are divided over the issue. Some see locking them up without hope for the future as barbaric, but others see teens as having the ability to determine basic right verse wrong, and in those cases, they should be punished and treated as adults. Many people also feel that because Florida is a tourist state and a sought out place for retirement, it needs to be safe and secure.

I think that punishing these people for life for crimes they committed as teens is not appropriate. As people who believe that juveniles should not be executed argue, "people under 18 are immature, irresponsible, susceptible to peer pressure and often capable of change.". The key phrase I think here is "capable of change". I agree completely that teenagers whether 13 or 17 should know that it is wrong to rape someone, wrong to commit a robbery, and those people deserve to spend a long chunk of time in prison. But, I do believe that with therapy and help, these teens can change, their brains will develop more, and they should have another shot at life. It's unfair to punish them away for ever because of a mistake (in these cases huge mistakes), that they made. I think that regarding the 8th amendment, it is cruel to keep them in prison for life, without any hope for the future. Disregarding the death penalty, the Supreme court usually allows states to decided how to punish each crime. Yet I think that this situation is unconstitutional.

Do you think that this is a situation in which one's constitutional rights are not being regarded? Or is this punishment just and constitutional?

picture: http://afghanistan.foreignpolicyblogs.com/files/2009/07/prison.jpg

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