After 9/11, the Virginia Tech massacre and Hurricane Katrina, there are so many variables that can cause a disruption of our society. We don’t want to be in panic-mode all of the time, but its hard to push the possibility out of our minds completely.
Unnatural disasters are the result of someone with a deviated mind-race has nothing to do with it, despite how it is often conveyed. It’s been expected as something to be wary of. When in the airport, the subway or at a sporting event, you might be conscious and more aware. The suspects? From teens to adults-they all have in common the determination to cause a ruckus.
But who expects third-graders to plot a murder? It seems anything is possible today. Last week a group of angry elementary school students in Waycross, Georgia allegedly planned to kill their teacher because as punishment, after a student was punished for standing on a chair according to the Associated Press (AP). The children brought a steak knife, steel handcuffs, a crystal paperweight and other tools for their plan to school. A total of nine students were involved-all with specific jobs for keeping the murder discreet.
Experts say that the students most likely would not have completed their plan, but the fact that they came up with such an elaborate idea is extremely frightening. Worry about college, high school or even middle school…but elementary school? The AP stated , “the district attorney is seeking juvenile charges of conspiracy to commit aggravated assault against an 8-year-old boy and two girls, ages 9 and 10.” The school has punished all nine students; the ones receiving charges might be expelled.
The problem is-what will ultimately happen to these children? Georgia state law does not allow criminal charges forindividuals under 13. While they can be sent to juvenile detention, it is unlikely that they will because of their ages and the fact that the crime was prevented. But these kids should not be let off the hook. With only a slap on the wrist, these children could be even more capable something worse when they are adults.