Juvenile Justice System

1. I read the article "2 Teens To Be Tried As Adults In Couple's Deaths". Anthony Zarro, seventeen, and Christopher Allen, sixteen, are accused for the deaths of Paul and Margaret Brooks. The Brooks were vacationing at their son's lake house in Lampe, Missouri in January of this year. The teens, Zarro and Allen, ran away from Lives Under Construction Ranch, a facility for at-risk youth. Zarro and Allen broke into an empty home and several days later killed the Brooks. In an interview Zarro states, "I killed them. I beat them with a baseball bat and stabbed them." Both teens pleaded not guilty to both charges; first-degree murder and armed criminal action. This article from CBS Detroit did not mention any background on the two teens or the victims. The families of both the accused and victims did not have anything to say when asked to speak towards the hearings. The trial is set for May 29th. As of now Anthony Zarro and Christopher Allen are being held in the Stone County Jail on a $2 million bond. There was no public comment or outcry on the webpage of this article but I am certain talk about this case concerning the two juveniles will increase as May 29th approaches. The teens have not said anything and will likely keep quiet until their trial.

2. Seeing how both teens are telling the truth to the authorities and admitting they both killed Paul and Margaret Brooks, I believe brain research should be performed in this case. It's difficult to say much about this case since the trial is at a later date this month, but we should take research into account since we are all still unaware of the motive. If we outlawed trying juveniles as adults, Zarro and Allen would not be on a $2 million bond and I'm sure some type of protest would become established. If at the time of the crime, the accused juveniles were adults, this change would change magnificently. It wouldn't take four months until the two boys are to stand trial and the time in prison would be much longer due to age and seriousness of crime. Once again, the sentencing has not been released. If I was a judge I would still establish the $2 million bond and give both teens at least thirty years in prison. (Keep in mind this is without knowledge of the motive)

3. This article isn't the best example of what the case has to say about the juvenile justice system...but I will answer it anyway. Zarro and Allen killed two adults on January 31st of this year, and are charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. It is now May ninth and nothing has been done. The trial is twenty days from today. Our juvenile justice needs to step up. I am surprised, to say the least, to think that four months have gone by and the families of the victims have no answers. It should not take this long to receive an answer or at least the motive. You might be thinking, in some cases its taken years. Yes I am aware but these are teens we are talking about, they must speak at one point or another throughout the course of being locked up for four months. Reading about this case was very shocking, mostly because one of the boys is my age and I would never kill someone. Our juvenile justice system should take more of an"initiative" to learn more on the case. I believe brain research should be conducted and a background check on Zarro and Allen. One does not go to vacation and end up dead. 

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Discussion questions from presentation

1. What is your deepest fear? Does it agree with Williamson's idea of typical fear, or not?
2. Has fear ever stopped you from doing something you wanted to achieve?
3. What stops you from being and doing what you really want to do? (in other words- what, if anything, is stopping you from conquering your fear? Is it yourself or is it how you think others may perceive you?)
4. How do you think your fears will affect your future? Is it necessary to get over your fears now when you still have a life ahead of you?

Trying Juveniles as Adults

Whether one is fifteen or fifty years old and he/she has committed a crime, this is not only astonishing to think about but also difficult to imagine. In Greg Krikorian's article, "Many Kids Called Unfit for Adult Trial..", Krikorian describes how many juveniles who are tried as adults may be unable to stand trial because they are unable "emotionally and intellectually" to contribute to their own defense. I am both ways on the entire situation of charging juveniles as adults. Yes, if a minor committed a severe crime, such as murdering an elder, they should face a much more serious consequence than an individual who robs a store. I do not believe however, that such consequences can influence minor on the act committed. The Atlantic Month specifies how Whitman developed a tumor which caused the series of shots which included a receptionist, two families, and other pedestrians. He damaged his amygdala, initially causing both "emotional and social disturbance". This being said, I don't believe the jury should take into consideration the crime and how "serious" it is based on the person. Factors such as genetics, medication (if applicable) and the environment one is in for most of their time should help the jury decide if minors should be tried as adults. Then again, how can anyone ever really know what to take into account in such a serious manner? Yes, we are given evidence from other individuals who witnessed the crime but we are missing the bigger picture.

Teach a Text (Krista & Johnny)

Dumpster Diving-
If I ever had the inability to pay for food and/or other supplies I would turn to a homeless shelter then go dumpster diving. I feel both ways on this topic; yes, it is an unsanitary method in picking out food and what not but when one doesn't have anything else...it's understandable. I wouldn't lean towards dumpster diving as my first choice if I was struggling because it would take a lot out of me (emotionally)  to climb into a dumpster and "scavenge" for food. Given the circumstances, I would feel embarassed to have to look for my meals in someone else's trash. I understand grocery stores are throwing out expired foods, but typically these foods don't actually go bad until a few days later. As long as it was canned food, with an unbroken seal and still in the original package, I'd go for it.

Teach a Text (Letisia & Patty, Danielle & Alyssa)

Magic Madness-
I have not witnessed a live magic trick, so I will share my thoughts on the 'Walking on Water' video we watched today in class. Criss Angel is known for performing crazy stunts, such as walking on water. I don't know whether or not I believe in 'magic' itself. I second guess everything I come across, so after watching Criss Angel walk on water I partially want to believe he actually did it...but the idea of a glass platform is lingering in the back of my mind. Yes, it is quite impressive but I can't really believe it. If I was in the pool when he had done this stunt, then my thoughts would be different. Don't get me wrong, I could easily watch magic tricks and be entertained but the idea of actually performing 'magic' is a little...odd for me. I have seen Criss do other stunts (life threatening ones) and have wondered how he does this. He is putting his life, literally, on the line and does stunts with such caution and doesn't seem nervous. I don't believe I would ever want to reenact magic tricks which could potentially put my life in danger, but I have to say magic is interesting.

Broken Families-
I really enjoyed looking at these statistics and was really shocked at the numbers. Some were insane; mother and stepfather (5.3%) while a single mother reaches 5.79%. I do believe that if one lives with his/her mother, the child will have a less chance of falling into substance abuse rather than living with one's mother and stepfather. From what I have seen, mothers are more involved, so to speak, in what their child engages in. My parents are together so I cannot say much about mothers always being there, but I know my mother would be constantly worrying if she hadn't heard from me rather than my dad who wouldn't be as concerned. (Then again my mother is very over-protective). Overall, I do believe these statistics are somewhat correct but I can't relate to them.

Guaman Poma translation

Arrival of the Spanish in Tumbez (page 46)

   This story, repeated on page 375 is allegorical. The discoverers Columbus, Vasco Nunez de Balboa and Juan Diaz de Solis, explorer of the Yucatan and Brazilian coasts, are along side the explorers of Peru. Despite being mistaken by the exact dates, Guaman Poma has not mistaken the chronology of these events; finds the discovery of the New World by Columbus in the year 1493, in the Pacific by Balboa in 1512 and the River of Silver by Diaz de Solis in 1513 (p 370, 374). That is why we interpret this drawing as an allegory: All of the expectations formed a single phenomenon; the voyage of Columbus was the navigation that brought Europe to America.

The Things They Carried-Final Essay

Mary Anne Bell is an innocent and sweet girl, more commonly known as Mark Fossie's girlfriend. She is introduced in "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong" and flies in from Ohio as part of Fossie's wish. Everyone loved her, Fossie, Rat and the other servicemen. Rat described her as "...a very attractive girl. Too wide in the shoulders, maybe, but she had terrific legs, a bubbly personality, a happy smile...she gave off a kind of come-get-me energy, coy and flirtatious" (95). Mary Anne had been a curious child, but as she began to experience the real-life scenario of being a soldier, she was curious about things such as the Vietnamese. Lieutenant Cross’s “fictional girlfriend” Martha, appears in a few chapters but has more of an effect on Cross during the short story “The Things They Carried”. She is his fantasy and has nothing to do with the war; in fact she makes him “leave” the war so to speak while he daydreams about her. She represents escapism. Although he resides in Vietnam, for the time being, Cross fantasizes how she can be. “Her legs, he thought, were almost certainly the legs of a virgin, dry and without hair, the left knee cocked and carrying her entire weight, which was just over one hundred pounds” (4).

In “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong”, Mary Anne is still the innocent sweet girl servicemen thought her to be. She had the same characteristics as Martha. Everyone loved her. She became comfortable being around incoming casualties and aided as they came in. This womanly presence by Mary Anne is said to be comforting to the servicemen. As the third week rolled along, Mary Anne had a change of character. She became overpowered by the nature of Vietnam; the culture, the war, the land. She is consumed by Vietnam. After Fossie “compromises” with Mary Anne, he tells the servicemen there would no longer be ambushes or late nights from her. “The next morning she was gone. The six Greenies were gone, too” (105). Mary Anne went on her own adventure exploring with the Vietnamese. Little did any of the servicemen know she wouldn’t be the innocent sweet girl any longer. “Rat listened for a time, then shook his head. ‘Man, you must be deaf. She’s already gone’ “(112). To the servicemen Mary Anne represented the ideal woman, such as Martha to Lieutenant Cross.

Both women presented in The Things They Carried were a form of distraction from the Vietnam War; Martha to Cross and Mary Anne to Fossie and the servicemen. Martha is the ultimate form of escapism for Cross. She’s the ideal person for Cross but is unaware of how the situation with her really is and how she can be different. She provided him strength all throughout the war. The contrast between Martha and Mary Anne was very much similar but diminished when Mary Anne’s lack of care and fearless behavior came into play. Fossie longed for the ‘old’ Mary Anne as she changed and began to take part in the late-night ambushes. The image of his innocent girlfriend from Ohio became abated. Mary Anne showed many of Martha’s characteristics to the men before she herself began to show those of the men. Mary Anne is the incarnation of American arrogance. She was consumed by the Vietnamese culture. The behavior of the servicemen altered much to their first impression of her as the innocent seventeen year old girl.