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Mediocre_Audience_61 t1_j9z8je3 wrote

Reply to comment by erichinnw in Opinion | Is D.C. juvenile justice a revolving door? We need to know. by Maxcactus

Murderous broken, damaged, children in crisis who have been failed by a society filled with injustice. Operative word: children. Which is why, rightly, no one is throwing away the key. Or should we go back to child executions of the Jim Crow era? Maybe just execute children in the street like in Brookland?

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addctd2badideas t1_j9zrifj wrote

I get why you think this is somehow a systemic and racial justice issue. If it were, many many more kids would be committing crimes, and as others have said, it's a lot of the same kids committing the same crimes over and over again.

No one's asking for kids to be executed. No one's saying don't address systemic injustice and racial inequality. No one is saying throw these kids in jail forever. So stop acting like that's what people are advocating.

There has to be a balance for law-abiding citizens who subscribe to the social contract to be able to live their lives mostly without fear, walk out of their house in their own neighborhood and be able to support their families.

There has to be justice for both the kids that have been failed by their parents and the victims of their crimes. That means preventing these crimes. And you can do so by putting the kids in jail but also making sure when they get out that they won't be repeat offenders. And right now, that's not happening.

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Mediocre_Audience_61 t1_ja0scon wrote

"Somehow a systemic and racial justice issue". That you think it's not speaks volumes. Children can face consequences but still go back to environments that are lead-contaminated, filled with pests, no access to after-school programming, adequate nutrition, or even the special education services kids may desperately need (a rampant problem in DC). We can amp up the consequences but until social safety nets are strengthened, especially for underserved communities, repeat offenses will continue to be a predictable outcome.

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addctd2badideas t1_ja0zv62 wrote

Slavery and systemic racism will always be this country's cardinal sin.

But for a city that has a near-Black-majority with most public officials being such as well, I'm going to go on a limb that it's not the sole, nor even primary driving force of this issue. Furthermore, the people who would love to be able to enjoy their day, walk outside and not get carjacked while trying to support their families are also Black. I'm sure they'd appreciate some safety and security too (while still having strong feelings about the Police as they should).

However I do agree that we need to both strengthen those social safety nets and police,/prosecute better (without violating civil rights) at the same time.

There's got to be a middle ground here because both extreme sides are untenable.

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