Young teens beat student to death and upload video to Facebook

I have to add to what I already posted, after reading the rest of the responses.

A few points:

1. Their age is no excuse. Teens of sixteen and seventeen years of age are old enough to know that murder is wrong. I don't believe anyone was making excuses for them, based on age. As far as I am concerned, try them as adults, and deliver the maximum sentence.

2. The social media aspect of this cannot be denied. Some want to argue that social media isn't to blame, because, gee, people did bad things before it existed. That's not a valid argument. Yes, they are responsible for their actions, but social media is a factor in many cases. These days, the average young person virtually lives in social media, posting everything they do, looking for attention, and having a meltdown if anything goes wrong. We cannot simply state that social media isn't a factor. It is. Many people do something extreme just to get a response online, that might not have done the extreme thing otherwise. Someone mentioned copycat killers, and that is a very apt comparison. How many do this just for the likes? Look at the four thugs in Chicago, that tortured that poor kid, and tell me they weren't seeking attention. Look at the cases of thugs attacking people on the street, just to get what they consider to be a "cool" video.

3. There is another aspect to this, which is danced around here, and which needs to be stated plainly. Someone wants the negativity online. There is a reason FB did what hey did with their little experiment (already linked in this thread). When people are afraid, and desperate, they are easier to control. When fear and violence are promoted, and they are promoted, then people can be manipulated to do extreme things. There is an agenda in play. There is a reason that these things are allowed to remain online as long as they are. Someone wants people upset, angry, afraid, etc.

4. A bit aside from the actual topic, but I have to point this out - The Hunger Games series (books and movies) does NOT promote violence, or glorify murder. Quite the opposite. In fact, and perhaps this isn't so of-topic after all, they point out just that sort of manipulation, of pushing people to violence, for control. Funny, that's the only movie mentioned here. Only, not really funny at all.

5. I hope a serious investigation takes place, not only of these two killers, but of their families as well, to try and see how and why they did what they did. Where were the parents? What sort of values did they teach, that their daughters would feel beating someone to death was acceptable? Did these girls learn this at home, or elsewhere? Were there any warning signs, or any previous threats? Did someone drop the ball??

I ask that last for a reason. I actually called police, in response to a distant family member posting threats against someone on FB. Real threats, that she planned to beat her up, etc. The police, where they lived, said they could do nothing. Literally, the woman with whom I spoke actually sounded offended that I would even care to call in such a complaint. I flat out told her, if and when something did happen to the target, I would be a witness for her family against the attackers AND the useless police there. As for FB - couldn't even find a way to report the issue there!! They flat do not care.

I can't even express how thankful I am that my own teens think social media sites are stupid. Of course, they know if they even threatened someone online, they'd lose internet access. Then again, they wouldn't threaten, either.

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

A life sentence for each of them.

originally posted by: Mousygretchen
a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

A life sentence for each of them.

A DEATH sentence for each of them is better.