Life Without Parole: Juvenile Edition

There is an ongoing debate in the Supreme Court, and the entire justice system for that matter, on whether sentencing juveniles to life without chance of parole is constitutional or not. Some say that LWOP can be considered cruel and unusual punishment, which is forbidden in the 8th amendment of the Constitution. Others say that kids who commit heinous crimes should be treated as adults, and tried as such. In my opinion, juveniles should never be sentenced to LWOP, neither should anyone I believe. LWOP should be abolished completely (except in special circumstances which I will cover later). My reasoning is that kids are very immature, irrational, and have not yet fully developed mentally to understand what exactly their actions constitute. Adults will almost always say that they are not the same person that they were when they were 16. So why should adults in prison who were sentenced while juveniles be kept in prison if they're not even of the same mindset as they were when they committed the crime? It's unjust to expect people never to change, and never give them the chance to reconcile with themselves. Parole is a chance for criminals to redeem themselves, and gives them the chance to assimilate back in to society as a productive, law-abiding citizen.
Kids are even more open to having a change of heart as they still have time to mature and grow mentally. So giving a kid LWOP robs them of that chance to reflect upon themselves and witness the error of their ways. Giving LWOP to anyone robs them of the chance to reconcile their crimes. But let's face it, some people cannot and will not redeem, reflect, or reconcile, and will never be able to join society as a good citizen. It's the job of the parole board to weed those who can't be good citizens out of those who can.
But what happens if someone commits a crime while on parole? In that case, they have committed the worse crime of all, betraying the trust and abusing the chance to live normally again. If this is the scenario, where someone on parole commits an equally terrible crime to the one that got them in jail, there will be no mercy for them. At that point, it's reasonable to sentence them to LWOP. Because after that chance has been spoiled, it should be obvious that they will never reconcile with their crimes, and they should never be given the chance to abuse the trust and responsibility placed on them again.

International Women's Day

One of the women I am appreciating today is my girlfriend Taylor Cook. I met Taylor early this year, and started dating her in December. She is utterly devoted and loyal to me, and I am utterly devoted and loyal to her. She thinks of me like no other person I've met, believing I'm the greatest individual to enter her life, and walk on the face of this earth. Of course she's biased to some degree, but it she gives me that boost of confidence and support that everyone needs at some point or another. She makes every day that much better, and is always there when I need her. Sometimes I myself am surprised by how disgustingly cute and sappy we can be. Out of all the girls I have dated, Taylor is the first I've ever loved, and the one I plan on staying with the longest.

The other women I am appreciating today is Ayn Rand. Ayn Rand's philosophy on society and the economy is thoroughly stimulating and makes several powerful arguments against philosophies such as communism and socialism. Ayn Rand's book, Atlas Shrugged, is a powerful book that really outlines her perspectives on working, government, and life itself. She may have passed away, but her legend lives on, and especially so today.