It’s so hard to know what to think in these cases, and I’m glad I’m not the judge who has to decide.  A 14-year-old boy in Tennessee is accused of raping and killing a 3-year-old girl.  Right now, the courts have to decide if the boy will be tried as an adult or not. 

Tennessee law seems have some gaping holes in it, leaving the final decision not up to the law so much as up to the judge.  Someone who’s 18 is automatically an adult.  Someone who’s 16 or 17 may be tried as an adult in certain cases.  And someone younger than that can be tried as an adult, if there’s rape or aggravated assault involved, but won’t be unless someone actively seeks to have them re-identified as such.

One consideration is that a 14-year-old, if tried and convicted as an adult, would go to jail, and while they are not put in the general population until they are 18, they also would not have access to the entire juvenile rehabilitation system that is in place for most teenage offenders.   If teenaged criminals are to have a chance to come back from their mistakes, they need access to education, medical care, counseling and mentorship.  But if a teen is tried as an adult, they won’t have access to those things.

This is a horrific crime, and there need to be serious and unbending consequences.   No punishment can bring back a little girl, or redeem the last terrible minutes of her short life.  But how responsible is a 14-year-old for an action like this? 

Some psychologists say they aren’t; they can’t truly understand the implications of their actions.  They just aren’t developed enough for that.  Is it right to punish a person for a crime he couldn’t fathom the full import of?  On the other hand, if a person is broken enough at this young age to hurt a tiny child so much, can he ever be fixed?  Will all the rehab in the world make him ready to rejoin society when he’s 21?

I guess those are the questions of the ages.  I’m not sure we’ve ever come to any satisfactory resolutions of these issues; I’m not sure we can.  I am sure that I did stupid things when I was 14, and would hate to have to pay for them my whole life.  And I am more sure than anything that I want my daughters and son to be safe.

I guess we’ll have to see what they decide to do in Tennessee. 

Image from sodahead.com

It is estimated that more than 180,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer each year. Unfortunately, that means one out of every eight women could be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.*

As part of Bright Starts ongoing effort to support breast cancer awareness, education and research, the company announces its third annual Bright Starts Pink Power Mom search. The contest honors eight mothers who have survived breast cancer and used their experience to make a difference in the lives of others who are also affected by the disease.

Nominate a Mom

A Bright Starts Pink Power Mom is a breast cancer survivor or someone who is currently battling breast cancer. They are role models whose distinct stories influence and inspire women’s awareness and involvement with organizations dedicated to finding a cure.

Bright Starts selects eight Pink Power Moms every year and honors each woman with a prize package including: a $5,000 donation to the charity of her choice; a gift bag that includes signature Pink Power Mom fleece and canvas bag; a $200 American Express gift card; and a variety of Bright Starts products. The women are also featured in a national print advertisement and their stories are profiled online at www.pinkpowermom.com.

Nominations will be accepted online at www.pinkpowermom.com through June and winners will be announced at the end of August.

An Inspiring Story

Amy Paterson, a 2008 recipient of the Pink Power Mom recognition, is one woman whose story captures the spirit of the program.

When her son Jonah was 2 ½, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. As Amy spent months completing chemotherapy, surgery, radiation and physical therapy, she realized that there was an unmet need for onsite hospital childcare.

Together with two other moms, Amy started My Little Waiting Room™ to bring drop-in childcare to hospitals. My Little Waiting Room will make it easier for families to keep appointments and get the medical care they need. The first My Little Waiting Room is expected to debut this year in Portland, Oregon. Bright Starts will be a brand partner for infant products in the facility with the donation of baby gear and toys.

“There’s no doubt that breast cancer changes your life,” said Paterson. “Thanks to the support of my medical team, my family and friends, I am a survivor. Helping other families to better make and keep medical appointments through My Little Waiting Room is how I’ve chosen to give back. With the help of Bright Starts, I hope to make a positive, meaningful difference for families in the same way that so many people helped mine.”

The Pink Connection

To supplement the Pink Power Mom program, Bright Starts will donate a portion of the proceeds from its top-selling Pretty in Pink™ Collection to support breast cancer research. The collection features 11 new items including the Bounce-A-Bout™ Activity Center, Swing Anywhere™ portable swing, Activity Jumper and an assortment of new toy items.

“We are proud to celebrate the lives of extraordinary women who have overcome breast cancer and recognize those who illustrate their unwavering devotion to finding a cure,” said Ryan Gunnigle, President and CEO of Kids II, designer and manufacturer of the Bright Starts brand. “Hosting this search is just one small effort to honor women who are making it possible for today’s baby girls to have a bright, healthy tomorrow.”

Pretty in Pink Collection products range from $4.99 to $79 and are available at leading U.S. retailers and online.

Press

This has been in the news quite a bit this past week, but the science isn’t what people seem to think it is–at least, what the headlines are proclaiming it is.  A study has been done that says that children who have had 2 or more surgieries by age 3 often end up with learning disabilities. 

But it has not been shown to be a causal relationship between anesthesia and learning disabilities.  I mean, there’s no evidence that learning disabilities are caused by the use of anesthesia.  Kids who need multiple surgeries so early are already facing serious health problems–their learning disability could simply be one of those.  Or, whatever went wrong in their pre-natal development could also have affected their brains.  Or, the trauma of invasive surgery could have provoked a chemical imbalance that led to the learning disability.

Parents, please don’t be afraid to get your child the medical care he or she needs.  Nobody takes lightly the decision to subject a baby or toddler to an operation.  Do your own research, and don’t let headlines scare you.  All in all, we are very blessed to live in a time when we have access to these treatments at all.

On February 4, President Obama signed legislation expanding S-CHIP, or State Children’s Health Insurance Program, by $35 billion, which includes about 4 million kids. 

What this will mean for your family is that if you are middle class and don’t have health insurance– a situation more and more families find themselves in–it might be possible for you to get coverage at least for your kids.  Even if you’ve been turned down before because you fall on that cusp (you make too little to make it without help, but too much to get any help), you should consider reapplying, because this money goes to the states to cover the cost of healthcare for more kids than before.

That might be good news for many families, considering that health care for our kids is an urgent priority for most of us.  Nothing’s free, though, so we’ll wait to see what we pay for this in terms of taxes in the near future.