Sending kids to court and its implications

In our country, we normally oppose abortion due to among other reasons, our recognition of the full humanity/personhood of the unborn. However, we are also lenient to minors in conflict with the law – children who commit crimes do not go to jail but instead go to social care, and cannot be sued and sent to the courts to defend themselves since “they are only children, they don’t know right and wrong” and things like those.

We are not certain of the position toward children in conflict with the law of pro-choice groups, but based on the most probable conclusion, they might agree that a person becomes a person only when they have reached the age of discernment or legal responsibility at 18 years old and above; below such age, it is not yet fully human.

I propose to abolish the age of discernment or legal responsibility to recognize the full humanity of the unborn as well as of the born children as well as the potential effects of young children being held liable or culpable, such as being sent to jail or facing the court.

Another proposition is that if we deny the personhood of the unborn and the youth, we should make their violent deaths not tantamount to even homicide. The punishment for killing a pre-legal person will be similar to the ones in violation of animal welfare/wildlife acts – no reclusion perpetua nor death penalty for killing kids.

Some have told me that such propositions are quite based on hasty conclusions, but one person I have asked (whom I have known for a long time, my former teacher who writes for the Inquirer) conceded that there might be a need to review our laws regarding our youths in conflict with the law.

See Also

Governance graded from below

Cruz Chanco,

cruzchanco56@gmail.com