[Piedra79]

We don't allow people under 18 to smoke, vote, or purchase pornography. They can't consent to sex with someone over the age of 18, and they certainly can't drink. Is it possible that such laws are in place because we as a society decided long ago that the capacity for kids to form decisions is not the same as an adult?

I know this is brought up many time, but do we really want to say that our country shares a practice that is only done in some of the more despotic countries in the middle east?

[kaktuskid]

Lobotomize the little bastards....and disband the SCOTUS (which the congress can do LEGALLY)

[SpyGuy]

Did you actually read the descriptions of these crimes? Or did you simply choose to ignore the facts in favor of promoting your agenda?

In particular, read about the Texas case. It starts off like this: "Efrain Perez and Raul Villarreal were both 17 in 1993 when they joined three other teenagers in the gang rape and killings of Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Pena, 16."

[mystery-ak]

If these *children* don't know at the age of 15,16,17 that's it's wrong to kill another person, they won't know it at 18 either...there is no hope for them...they are bad machines(Vonnegut)...

[Diddle E. Squat]

Is it possible that such laws are in place because we as a society decided long ago that the capacity for kids to form decisions is not the same as an adult? I know this is brought up many time, but do we really want to say that our country shares a practice that is only done in some of the more despotic countries in the middle east?

Nice try. The USSC ruling was based on the reasoning that executing someone under the age of 18 is unconstitutional. At what age were juveniles considered adults during the time when the Founding Fathers wrote the constitution?

[WinOne4TheGipper]

I (partly) agree. Kids are irresponsible. They do make poor decisions. And it wasn't that long ago that, I was a teenager. However, the idea that murder is one of those irresponsible things, as the court assumes is an insult to teens everywhere.

[SpyGuy]

We don't allow people under 18 to smoke, vote, or purchase pornography. They can't consent to sex with someone over the age of 18, and they certainly can't drink. Is it possible that such laws are in place because we as a society decided long ago that the capacity for kids to form decisions is not the same as an adult?

What you (and others like you) forget to realize when you make this argument is that these age of consent laws exist for two reasons: (1) to protect minors from themselves; and (2) to protect society from the poor decisions of minors. Neither reason precludes society from further protecting others by executing these minors.

And since when is it "cruel and unusual" to execute someone who is 17 years, 365 days old, but not "cruel and unusual" to execute someone who is 17 years, 366 days old?

There is nothing in the US Constitution to support today's decision. It was judicial political activism, nothing less!

[therut]

Oh I don't know. With your reasoning I guess the 2nd Amendment is obsolete and we can just rid of that little thing also.