Scott Reynolds <sar@gol.com> wrote in message news:<bet3e1$7bc$1@newsflood.tokyo.att.ne.jp>...
> On 7/14/2003 5:24 AM, Eric Takabayashi wrote:
> 
> > Do you believe this 12 year old boy got this way by himself, or that
> > it was his peers that got him into sexual assault, kidnap and murder
> > of young boys? His parents either brought him up wrong, or did not
> > bring him up right.
> 
> Wow! This is the first time I've seen you come down so strongly on the 
> "nurture" side of the nature-nurture debate, Eric. 

Then you haven't been reading for years. And I don't believe that
people are "born" so screwed up in the head that they don't know such
a thing is not right.

> If this is really how 
> you feel I can't understand why you don't advocate channeling more 
> government resources to helping at-risk kids 

I do and did.

> and assisting parents with raising their children, 

I do and did.

> rather than simply making punishments harsher. 

Harsh punishment is for when people make the choices to screw up when
all else fails. People would get so much help that there would be no
excuse for failure. You'd know this if you read more closely instead
of only picking out the punishment parts as "EricWorld". That still
does not mean there is any excuse right now for what happened in this
case, or what the boy is accused of doing at least three times
previously this year.

> It also would seem to conflict with your oft-stated position that abuse, 
> etc., as a child should not be considered a mitigating factor when 
> determining the punishment to be meted out for a crime committed as an 
> adult.
> 
> > This family will probably have to relocate and hide from the rest of
> > society, like some others I have heard of, even if they have to lose
> > their jobs or businesses, and this crime will be famous for the rest
> > of their lives. That could be enough.
> 
> Enough what?

Punishment for the parents.