The politics of killing.
Compare these two cases:
Officials: 3rd Graders Plotted to Kill Teacher
Officials in Georgia have thwarted a plot by a group of third-grade special education students to kill their teacher.
Officials at the Center Elementary School in Waycross, Ga., learned of the plot on March 28, when a student told authorities about the plan before the start of the school day, the Waycross Journal-Herald reports.
The plot by as many as nine boys and girls was a serious threat, Waycross Police Chief Tony Tanner said Tuesday.
The students allegedly brought to school a broken steak knife, a roll of duct tape, handcuffs, ribbon and a crystal paperweight in a bid to kill their teacher, Belle Carter, the paper reports.
“We did not hear anybody say they intended to kill her, but could they have accidentally killed her? Absolutely,” Tanner said. “We feel like if they weren’t interrupted, there would have been an attempt. Would they have been successful? We don’t know.”
The children, ages 8 and 9, were apparently mad at the teacher because she had scolded one of them for standing on a chair, Tanner said.
“It’s our understanding that she did in fact discipline one of the students, and they did not like it, he told FOX News. “After that, she began to plot revenge on the teacher.” [...]
They could be expelled, but a prosecutor said they are too young to be charged with a crime under Georgia law. [...]
Tanner said the scheme involved a division of roles. One child’s job was to cover windows so no one could see outside, he said. Another was supposed to clean up after the attack. [...]
The parents of the students have cooperated with investigators, who aren’t allowed to question the children without their parents’ or guardians’ consent, he said. Authorities have withheld the children’s names.
Police expected to forward the results of their investigation to prosecutors, Tanner said.
Children in Georgia can’t be charged with a crime unless they are at least 13, District Attorney Rick Currie said. [...]
Then, there’s this:
Md. Boy, 12, Kills Man Attacking Mother
The 12-year-old boy had finished his homework and was playing a video game when he heard his mother cry out. Rushing to her aid, he found her on the kitchen floor, straddled by a fellow resident of their Prince George’s County boarding house, the man’s hands wrapped tightly around her neck, the boy said yesterday.
“I kept saying, ‘Stop! Stop! Stop!’ ” the boy said, describing the events of Monday night. “But he just ignored me. He didn’t stop. He just kept hurting her.”
The boy said he grabbed a knife and swung, slashing 64-year-old Salomon Noubissie across the neck and opening an artery. Noubissie was fatally wounded.[...]
Law enforcement officials were reviewing evidence yesterday and had not decided whether to file charges. Their preliminary account of the incident broadly matches that of the boy and his mother.
The case presents exceedingly unusual circumstances: Rarely is a 12-year-old implicated in a homicide, and even less often does a child that age take a life to protect his mother. [...]
In Georgia, they’re too young to be prosecuted for conspiracy to commit murder. In Maryland, self-defense that results in a fatality is not okay, even if the person doing the defending is only twelve. The reasoning behind the considerations is that he wasn’t the one being attacked. Okay, so, he stands there and let’s a man kill his mother. What’s his chances of being next?
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:47 am
Our society has gone bonkers!
The people who are undecided about charging this boy for defending his mother should never be allowed to hold public office.
The Chief of Police should give the kid an award, and the City Fathers should give him the Key to the City for a day.
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:32 pm
It’s also the difference between living in a blue state and living in a red one.
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:40 am
THOU SHALL NOT KILL, PERIOD.
All followers of the three (3) great Abrahamic religions, Judaism,
Christianity and Islam believe in the Ten (10) Commandments. In our humble
opinion, if anyone killed another innocent human being or himself, he is neither
a Jew, nor a Christian, nor a Muslim, because he disobeyed one of the
most important Commandments of Almighty God (Allah): Thou Shall Not Kill.
……..
Given below are some of the verses from the Holy Qur’an in support
thereof, referring to the number of Surah (Chapter) first followed by
the number of Ayah (Verse), later (from an English translation of the
Holy Qur’an by Mr. Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall).
Yet ye (Children of Israel) it is who slay each other and drive out a
party of your people from their homes, supporting one another against
them by sin and transgression, and if they came to you as captives ye
would ransom them, whereas their expulsion was itself unlawful for you.
Believe ye in part of the Scripture and disbelieve ye in part thereof?
(2:85)
Lo! those who disbelieve the revelations of Allah (God Almighty), and
slay the Prophets wrongfully, and slay those of mankind who enjoin
equity: announce them a painful doom. (3:21)
O ye who believe! eat not up your property among yourselves in
vanities: but let there be amongst you traffic and trade by mutual good-will:
nor kill (or destroy) yourselves (commit suicide): for verily Allah hath
been to you Most Merciful. (4:29)
Never should a believer kill a believer; but (if it so happens) by
mistake (compensation is due): if one (so) kills a believer, it is ordained
that he should free a believing slave and pay compensation to the
deceased’s family, unless they remit it freely. If the deceased belonged to
a people at war with you and he was a believer, the freeing of a
believing slave (is enough). If he belonged to a people with whom ye have a
treaty of mutual alliance, compensation should be paid to his family
and a believing slave be freed. For those who find this beyond their
means (is prescribed) a fast for two months running: by way of repentance
to Allah: for Allah hath all knowledge and all wisdom. (4:92)
If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to
abide therein (for ever): and the wrath and the curse of Allah are upon him
and a dreadful penalty is prepared for him. (4:93)
For that cause We decreed for the Children of Israel that whosoever
killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the
earth, it shall be as if be had
killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if
he had saved the life of all mankind. Our messengers came unto them of
old with clear proofs (of Allah’s sovereignty), but afterwards lo!
many of them became prodigals in the earth. (5:32)
They are losers who besottedly have slain their children without
knowledge, and have forbidden that which Allah bestowed upon them, inventing
a lie against Allah. They indeed have gone astray and are not guided.
(6:140)
Say: “Come I will rehearse what Allah hath (really) prohibited you
from”: join not anything as equal with Him; be good to your parents: kill
not your children on a plea of want; We provide sustenance for you and
for them; come not nigh to shameful deeds whether open or secret; take
not life which Allah hath made sacred except by way of justice and law:
thus doth He command you that ye may learn wisdom. (6:151)
O Prophet! when believing women come to thee to take the oath of fealty
to thee that they will not associate in worship any other thing
whatever with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit
adultery (or fornication), that they will not kill their children, that
they will not utter slander intentionally forging falsehood, and that they
will not disobey thee in any just matter then do thou receive their
fealty and pray to Allah for the forgiveness (of their sins): for Allah
is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful. (60:12)
Kill not your children for fear of want: We shall provide sustenance
for them as well as for you: verily the killing of them is a great sin.
(17:31)
And slay not the life which Allah hath forbidden save with right. Whoso
is slain wrongfully, We have given power unto his heir, but let him
not commit excess in slaying. Lo! he will be helped. (17:33)
And those who cry not unto any other god along with Allah, nor take the
life which Allah hath forbidden save in (course of) justice, nor
commit adultery and whoso doeth this shall pay the penalty; (25:68)