Traders

Does life always turn out the way you expect it to be? "Copper Sun" by Sharon M. Draper is about a girl named Amari and her peaceful tribe in which she lives in. Amari couldn't dream of a better life than what she was living. Everything was perfect until slave traders came and interrupted their peace. The traders killed everyone except the young females and males. Amari even experienced the death of her family right in front of her eyes. There were many things in the story that got me thinking on how cruel the world was back in the days.

One thing that caught my attention was how roughly the traders treated the slaves on the boat. They should try and give them at least a bit of respect. "The sailors were now even angrier than before. The whips slashed across the backs of the remaining slaves once more, as if those still alive had to pay for the loss of the two who had died. No one else tried to jump." A mother and daughter jumped off the ship and tried to escape but were caught by the slave traders and were thrown into the sea, then they were eaten by sharks. As if it weren't already bad enough for the slaves held captive, they were beaten again for others mistakes. These slaves already had to face harshness by the traders, could anything else get worse?

Yes, things did get worse. The slaves barely got any food or medication. The only time they did was the day before people came to see and buy them. Everyone on the boat that were females were abused sexually as well. How can someone do this? Do they not feel ashamed they they are trading people as a job? They have to feed their families with the dirty money that they earn.... disgusting.

In the book when Amari was on the ship, she had one hope to this guy who taught her English words. He didn't abuse her and he always gave her water. I honestly respect this guy because he is a gentlemen. Despite the fact knowing that the man might get into trouble for teaching words to Amari, he still did it for her benefit. Another man also helped the slaves. It might not have been the greatest help but he was generous enough to actually think about them."Listen, my brothers, I know not all of you can understand me, but I can see that some of you are Ashanti and Ewe. I will be whipped if they catch me 'talking African,' as they call it, but I must tell you some things. You must learn their language quickly-it is called English- but try not to forget your own. Submit and obey if you want to live." The guy kept going on about details on where the slaves were and what was gonna happen to them. This information was a bit helpful to the slaves because at least they knew someone looked after them. Not all of the traders were terrible, they were just forced to work like that.

 I can't even imagine how my life would have been if I were Amari. Would I be able to control my self and handle it as well as she did? Without my family I'm nothing... but she kept going. Survival was the only thing Amari hoped for, she wanted to live and escape to a better area. It doesn't always work out for slaves when they escape but for Amari it did. Though I can't relate to this book, it was one of the most interesting books I have read so far.

Stand By Me

The movie "Stand By Me" is a movie about "Coming of Age." Coming of age is when someone realizes that they aren't a child anymore, and they are countable for their own responsibilities and actions. They realize that they need to act maturely. This movie is about how four kids, Gordie LaChance, Chris Chambers, Teddy DuChamp and Vern Tessio overcome challenges that come their way, and how these obstacles help them to behave and act more mature.But Gordie's father doesn't care how mature Gordie is, he wants his son to hang out with decent, non-smoking children who aren't hooligans, and to act more like his dead brother once used to. No matter how Gordie is, his father doesn't accept him for the way he is. But don't most parent child relationships have problems like these?

Gordie is the type of person who doesn't cause a ruckus like his friends. Hes a writer type of a guy. Gordie's dead brother was a popular baseball player whom his father loved so much. Now Gordie's father doesn't accept him being a writer because he wants his son to take on his brothers footsteps. Ignorance was being occurred throughout the relationship with Gordie and his father. But don't all parent child relationships have problems like this? Don't they all have reasons behind it? Sometimes when a child doesn't meet a guardians expectations many harsh things might occur. For example in the play "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Capulet and his daughter Juliet had to face a few difficulties that came their way about marriage, but in the end the problem caused death.

Though the father wasn't quite shown a lot throughout the movie, I was able to notice a few things about his relationship with NOW his only son. One thing I noticed was how Denny (older brother of Gordie) payed more attention to Gordie more than the father. I mean come on you are a dad of two children, don't make one feel like a king and the other like debris. As mentioned previously Gordie was ignored by both his mother and father, but mostly his mother. I also noticed that in Gordie's dream the father said "It should've been you Gordie," at Denny's funeral. Now that's just crazy and no one should be treated that way. Gordie is your own blood man.

I can personally relate to this because my father and I have had a few minor problems. "Minor problems" for example are like me not listening to what he is saying, or him not listening to what I'm trying to say. But that doesn't mean he doesn't love me. He loves me more than his life, but sometimes what he calls "the best thing for me to do" isn't really the best. In the end we always solve our problems! I still think that Gordie's father loves him but doesn't know how to express or show himself to his son like he was able to with Denny. After Denny died, things around the house became worse. The father really does care about Gordie but doesn't show it as often as he needs to. All parents love their children no matter what they do. ♥

Brave Mercutio

"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare is quite an unusual play with interesting characters. Romeo, the dashing young boy with the love for Juliet whom he just married, had killed Tybalt, Juliet's beloved cousin. Romeo originally killed Tybalt with the anger of his good friend Mercutio dying. Tybalt and Mercutio had gotten into a fight when Mercutio was stabbed under the arm and died. Though Tybalt is quite a violent yet interesting person, Mercutio seems like a completely different character to me and is my favorite person in the whole play.

Mercutio isn't the type of person to cry over a person who he loves, or to obsess over someone who he just met 3 hours ago like Romeo. He is different... he isn't a soft person, he is brave, daring and an outrageous person with his thoughts. For example, he danced at the Capulets mask party which to me was hilarious. Although it was funny Mercutio could have gotten killed. Now the Capulets and the Montagues dislike each other and can't stand peace within themselves... at least Tybalt can't. In act 1 scene 4, Mercutio tries calming Romeo down and tells him to loosen up and enjoy himself when he goes to the party. This is one of the reasons why Mercutio is one of my favorite character in the play, he cares about Romeo a lot.

Another reason why Mercutio seems the most interesting to me is because he really doesn't care about love. All he wants to do is have fun with his life. This to me is totally fine. Romeo should understand that at this age love shouldn't be taken seriously because of the rashness that might occur. Mercutio understands this idea but tells Romeo to do the opposite... which is to have sex. "If rough is love with you, be rough with love." Mercutio says to Romeo <- I dont consider that right or a possible answer. But aside that, Mercutio is a nurturing person even if you can't catch it right away. In this scene Mercutio gives MANY advices to Romeo to overcome his "love" for Rosaline. I really did wish Mercutio kept on till the end of the play!

In act 3 scene 1 Mercutio bravely says "Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch," when he gets stabbed by Tybalt. I know that if that were me getting hurt I wouldn't have been as brave as Mercutio who handled it pretty well. His bravery makes him even more interesting. He is a very courageous person with no fears. Everyone in the book has fears but Mercutio seems different. He doesn't seem like the person to have such terror inside them. As for him dying, I would've started crying and rushing to a doctor but he just said it was a scratch and didn't even show a bit of exaggeration to his language.

Mercutio is an amazing character and Romeo and Juliet wouldn't have been the same without him.

Tender, But Rough Love

Has anyone every experienced love at a young age? Sure, Romeo and Juliet have. "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare is a play with a theme of Love, young love. Young love can be fierce, it can be soothing, it can be romantic and it can be cruel according to the main male role, Romeo. Romeo experienced it all. He was in love with Rosaline, a girl that didn't love him back. He was a young boy with a broken heart and heavy shoulders weighing him down to his sadness. On the other hand, 13 year old Juliet is asked to marry Paris by her mother. Juliet contemplates the idea but isn't sure if she is ready.

In act 1 scene 4, Romeo says "I am too sore enpiercèd with his shaft," meaning "His arrow has pierced me too deeply, so I can’t fly." Melancholy Romeo has been hurt with cupids arrow. (Not literally.) With love being cruel in the state Romeo is in now, he isn't enjoying anything. He can't blossom anymore to love, as so he thinks. To me Romeo is trying to ignore the fact that he can move on to find another love but denies it everytime. He wont dance nor will he even try to be happy. He just wants to be left alone in the way he is now. After finding out that his beloved Rosaline is invited to the Capulets party, Romeo finds himself there with Benvolio, his cousin and Mercutio. The Capulets and the Montagues hate each other greatly. They can't stand peace within each others families, so it's very dangerous for Romeo to be in such place.

Also in act 1 scene 4 Romeo says..."Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, Too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn." This means "Is love really tender? I think it’s too rough, too rude, too rowdy, and it pricks like a thorn." With this line, Romeo seems more than just heart Broken... he seems as if he can't love again which for a fact isn't true. He thinks love isn't soft, it's rough and unjust and stings like a rose thorn. With the suggestion of Benvolio for Romeo to dance, Romeo doesn't feel comfortable to do anything. I personally think that Romeo is over reacting on such a person who doesn't love him back. OK, so she doesn't love you back? Move on, it may take time but at least try to get your mind off of that idea. This may be harsh but the only way to recover might be to move on and use cupids wings to find someone new.

Shakespeare has included many oxymoron's such as 'Brawling Love,' and 'Loving Hate.' By using oxymorons I am able to understand Romeos point of view of love, since he himself has said these words. Brawling love in my opinion means that love can be harsh at times when you are fighting for the one you care the most about, the one whom you love so much. For Loving Hate, my inference is that love can be triggered towards hating a person because of the actions that happen between the two people. For example in my opinion, Romeo hates Rosaline for not loving him back, but he still loves her and can't focus on anything else. These mixed feelings happen all the time. Love can't always be controlled you know...

Teen Drivers

According to the article "Teens Behind The Wheel" by Chris Wagner, teenagers are mostly about driving. They drive as soon as they get their license. Parents can't even get their teens out of the couch, but as soon as they get a license they are out and ready on their own. That's what the kids think.. that they are old enough and are responsible for driving. The author wants us to know that their are many teenagers out their that are driving on their own and that they might not be ready for the responsibility about driving a car. The author also wants us to know that when the teenagers get their license and start to drive, they are more likely to start new actions such as drinking or smoking. "In a 2004 study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol, researchers McCarthy and Brown report that in the period immediately after obtaining their license, teens are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors such as drinking and smoking marijuana," Wagner mentions.

Chris Wagner uses many craft moves throughout his article. One craft move he used was including a fact about the Journal Of Studies On Alcohol. This helps the reader understand better on what teenagers can do when they start driving. Another craft move Wagner uses is that he gives us topics on how teenagers aren't responsible to drive. Some topics are:  Inexperience, Speeding, Street Racing, Drunk Driving, Drugged driving, Cellphone use etc. By giving these topics Wagner has shown me several risks and problems that happen while teenagers drive.Each topic has a paragraph explaining what happens when teen drivers do those actions. He mentions that "Teen drivers are far less experienced behind the wheels." Wagner wants us to feel disappointed and angry toward the teenager because these problems are what causes danger to their lives. By driving they can seriously hurt themselves and others as well.

I wasn't aware of many of the topics as mentioned above before I read the article. But as I read through the entire thing I am now more wise about the fact of teen drivers. Now I know that "teens feel the need for speed" meaning they want to go faster then their limit. I myself want to drive, but I wont drive till I know I am ready. I know some of the reasons why the teens are very excited to drive, they want to be independent and become an adult. They want to be treated like an adult so they think that driving might be a contributing factor to being considered one. I personally think that it isn't true. You need to have full responsibility in order to drive and take care of yourself along with the passengers in your car.

I also wasn't aware of the fact that  “16 year-old drivers have a higher rate of crashes in which excessive speed is a factor.” Among fatal crashes from 1983-2002, the proportion of drivers who were speeding was highest among 15- to 20-year-olds (nearly 40 percent), and higher than any other age group (NCSA)." This matter is serious. 15 year olds aren't even supposed to drive. You are supposed to drive when you are 18 years old and have a license. This is why teenagers get into car crashes. They aren't experienced well enough to handle being behind the wheels. Though teens want to drive to have a thrill, they shouldn't drive if they are underage and unexperienced.

 Citations:Wagner, Chris. "Teens behind the wheel." CPYU. Not Given. Not Given. 26 Feb. 2013 <http://www.cpyu.org/page.aspx?id=163421>.
 

Appreciation is the Key to a Happy Life

Has there ever been a time where a family kept changing homes and never stabilized themselves? The Walls' family in the book "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls had constantly moved from place to place. They were basically  like pioneers. The Walls' kids, Jeannette, Lori, Brian and Maureen explored every area they had lived at. The family faced many obstacles throughout their lives such as having a alcoholic father, an artistic yet indolent mother and times where they didn't have enough money or food. The kids don't complain about the problems as often as I thought they would. They seem to handle the fact of not taking baths, eating foods from the trash can, and wearing the same clothes everyday pretty well. There are a number of quotes/lines from the story that got me thinking to myself on how hard the family has it, but how well they take care of it.

One example on how the Walls' kids take care of themselves is by having to take care of their mother first. If the mother lacks the ability of continuing her school job as a teacher, the kids would grade her students test and homework as well as cleaning  up the house when all the mom does is laying down in bed crying. -_- I have never experienced this problem, nor do I look forward to this because it's very depressing knowing the mother is all broken down. For myself, I can't stand when my mother cries, but the kids handle it pretty well. They just leave her alone because it happens so often. No one in this world would enjoy having to grade a slacking mother's students' test/homework. These children are so understanding, they don't even have a problem doing it.

Another example is how Jeannette said "I hate the winter." But right away the mother said,
"All seasons have something to offer. Cold weather is good for you, it kills germs." Despite the fact that they have to look at icicles hanging down from the kitchen ceiling from the winter they don't complain move out/getting the problems fixed. If that were me, I would have gone crazy. WHO WANTS ICICLES HANGING FROM THE KITCHEN CEILING? Another thing Jeannette Walls mentioned in the book was that winter minimized the amount of time they washed their clothes. Normally my mother washes my family's clothing every week with our washing machine, but the Walls family doesn't. They can stand living in their filthy clothes when my family can't.

Throughout the book, the family faced many challenges but got through them all. When the whole family slowly ended up in New York, they became successful. At least Lori, Brian and Jeannette did. The mother and father just wanted to live out on the streets. They didn't have money to keep up with their house rent so they usually stayed outside sleeping on park benches. I really don't understand why the Dad can't keep a hold of his job. Why does he get so aggressive? They should know that living inside a house is safer than the outside world. But then again I realize they were meant to be adventurers. They had many pleasant times living out in the wild rather than living in a home. They appreciate all the little things nature brings to them. The hot, cold, anything.  On the other hand my family prefers to be living indoors than outdoors. We aren't like the Walls AT ALL. But the one thing we have in common is that...we are a loving family ♥♥

Though I have finished this book a while ago, I have been waiting to write a response on it. This book was absolutely beautiful. I wanted to write so many things on this book but couldn't decide on which to choose. I have never enjoyed a book as much as I enjoyed "The Glass Castle." This book has taught me to be thankful for what I have. Many families out there have so little to themselves when over here I whine for more. :(  I always had thought to myself as I was reading the book... "Would I have handled the problems as well as the Walls' kids do it?" Then right away an answer comes to my mind. "No." This book should be read by all students in middle school because they will truly learn from this and appreciate the things that they have already.

Why You Gotta Be So Mean?

The song "Mean" by Taylor Swift opened up my eyes to see the real world. I have heard this song the first time in a car when it came out in March the year of 2011. This song has words to it that inspire kids to never break down and is one of the reasons why I like it. Taylor swift is one of my favorite artists, and the lyrics she has to each song, specially this one can connect to most people out there which to me is great! Swift wrote this song because there was this guy who always criticized her work and thought that she could never make it into the music world. But guess what? She eventually did. Songs that connect to someones personal life can soothe them and make them comfortable which is another reason why I like it. "Mean" relates to me because I have been verbally bullied before in elementary school. One theme that stood out to me was that "Never be broken down because of someone because one day you are going to be successful and all they are going to be is a hater." And the theme has related to me, the bully is just a hater to everything you do and that's it.

"You, with your words like knives  
You, with your words like knives and swords and weapons that you use against me 
You have knocked me off my feet again got me feeling like I'm nothing
You, with your voice like nails on a chalkboard
Calling me out when I'm wounded
You picking on the weaker man" to me means that words can act as weapons. It can hurt and bring you down in several different ways. Words are like a stab in the heart when it is TRYING  to bring someone down. It can make you feel like debris, scattered there on the floor feeling like your useless. Someone who is using words to torment another person can be as if your knocked down to the floor and can't rise back up. Bullies tend to pick on someone who is weaker than them, smaller, and more timid so they can feel better about themselves.

"Someday I'll be living in a big ol' city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?" This Stanza means that when the person gets older they will be living in a big city having a nice job, being well known when the person who hurt them with words is just going to stay mean.The words won't have an affect towards the person anymore because they have outgrown the problem. One day the person will have gotten so big as in occupation wise that the bully won't be able to reach them and put them down again. People who bully, are mean and always will be mean when the person who they hurt has moved on to a better life than them.

"You, with your switching sides
And your wildfire lies and your humiliation
You have pointed out my flaws again
As if I don't already see them
I walk with my head down
Trying to block you out 'cause I'll never impress you 
I just wanna feel okay again I bet you got pushed around
Somebody made you cold
But the cycle ends right now
'Cause you can't lead me down that road." I think this part means that bullies always point out flaws and that's all they care about. Whenever you make a flaw that's their chance to bring you down and humiliate you. "I walk with my head down" is when someone is embarrassed because they have just been degraded. I think "Trying to block you out 'cause I'll never impress you " means that a bully will never be astonished of what you do, even if it's a good thing, so its better to just ignore them. The person just wants to get away from the bully and not feel as if someone is hovering over them. There is always a reason on why someone is mean and  why someone is acting the way they are. Someone must have hurt them as well. But now the bully can't hurt them because the tormenting is over and they won't be able to lead you down the wrong way.

This song is very meaningful to children all over the world because somehow, someway they can relate. "Mean" shows a  way to recovery to someone who has been bullied. This song is not a depressing song but is child friendly which makes it better to hear and makes the listener cheerful. Taylor Swift has written this song because she wants to show everyone that things get better in life, it doesn't stay the same. She wants everyone to know that they WILL be successful in life if they try harder to get away from their problem. :)


 "Mean"

You, with your words like knives
And swords and weapons that you use against me
You have knocked me off my feet again
Got me feeling like I'm nothing
You, with your voice like nails on a chalkboard
Calling me out when I'm wounded
You picking on the weaker man

You can take me down with just one single blow
But you don't know, what you don't know...

Someday I'll be living in a big ol' city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?

You, with your switching sides
And your wildfire lies and your humiliation
You have pointed out my flaws again
As if I don't already see them
I walk with my head down
Trying to block you out 'cause I'll never impress you
I just wanna feel okay again

I bet you got pushed around
Somebody made you cold
But the cycle ends right now
'Cause you can't lead me down that road
And you don't know, what you don't know...

Someday I'll be living in a big ol' city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?

And I can see you years from now in a bar
Talking over a football game
With that same big loud opinion
But nobody's listening
Washed up and ranting about the same old bitter things
Drunk and grumbling on about how I can't sing
But all you are is mean

All you are is mean
And a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life
And mean, and mean, and mean, and mean

But someday I'll be living in a big ol' city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean, yeah
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so?..

Someday I'll be living in a big ol' city (Why you gotta be so?..)
And all you're ever gonna be is mean (Why you gotta be so?..)
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me (Why you gotta be so?..)
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYa1eI1hpDE

Teen Murderer? (Revised)

According to the article "Locked Away Forever" by Adam Liptalk in Upfront Magazine, about ten-thousand Americans are serving time in jail because of the crimes they committed before they were 18 years old. The author wants us to know that these teenagers are serving life sentences for crimes that they have committed before the age of 18. More than 350 teens have done a crime such as murder at age 15 and are behind bars. "I was like a magnet for the wrong crowd," says Rebecca Falcon a 15 year old girl that got drunk and was accused of shooting a cab driver with an 18 year old boy she hailed a cab with. She did this just because she was upset with her boyfriend....

Adam Liptalk has used many craft moves throughout his article such as using statistics. He has clearly shown me about how many teens have committed crimes before the age of 18 in different parts of the world. In the article "Locked Away Forever" Liptalk mentions "In the U.S. more than 2,200 are serving life without parole." Giving statistics helps readers to understand and visualize clearly what is going on. Another craft move the author has used is including quotes that other people have said. By including others quotes, I am able to understand their opinions and what they feel. Liptalk wants us to feel pity yet disappointment towards the teens underage who have committed a crime because it is not expected from them, and they clearly don't understand the difference between right and wrong.

Before reading the article I thought the teens were definitely guilty for what they have done. But as I kept reading my mind was changing about the issue. They are no longer completely guilty for what they have done. They must have a reason that has been upsetting them, so they took action in a way that affected them.  I personally agree with the Supreme Court about the fact that youths under the age of 18 are less mature.They don't have the full knowledge on the harsh conditions when they commit a crime. I feel as if adults have a better knowledge and know what they are doing when the teens don't. They are young, wild and crazy. These kids are underage and shouldn't be put behind bars for a life time. "Ninety percent of teen offenders do not become adult criminals" says Laurence Steinberg a psychology professor of temple university in Philadelphia. Youths under the age of 18 shouldn't be punished for longer than five years in my opinion (depending on which type of crime they have committed.)

"To ensure that kids are protected we have to recognize that they are actually different from adults." Marsha Levick says. Yes! I completely agree with her!!! Kids are way different from adults depending on their maturity. They are naive, sensible and young and think whatever they are trying to accomplish is right. I have seen many students under the age of 18 go by the term "YOLO" which means you only live once, so they are convinced that you should do whatever you want since you only have one life to live.

"In teenagers, scientists have found that part of the brain that guides impulse control and weighs risks versus rewards is not fully mature. Research has also shown that a persons actions at age 13-14 are poor indications of the kind of adult he or she will become." The article includes. Committing a crime at the age of 15 may also be a poor indication of the kind of adult the kid might become. I would like to know why kids commit these crimes in the first place, like what is there reason on doing this besides being upset with their boyfriend? Though teens committing crimes are horrifying, they shouldn't be punished forever.

Citation:  Liptalk, Adam. "Locked Awat Forever." Upfront Magazine Not given. 15 Jan. 2013 <http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/upfront/features/index.asp?article=f0130a>.

Teen Murderer?

According to the article "Locked Away Forever" by Adam Liptalk in Upfront Magazine, about ten-thousand Americans are serving time in jail because of the crimes they committed before they were 18 years old. The author wants us to know that these teenagers are serving life sentences for crimes that they have committed before the age of 18. More than 350 teens have done a crime such as murder at age 15 and are behind bars. "I was like a magnet for the wrong crowd," says Rebecca Falcon a 15 year old girl that got drunk and was accused of shooting a cab driver with an 18 year old boy she hailed a cab with. She did this just because she was upset with her boyfriend....

Adam Liptalk has used many craft moves throughout his article such as using statistics. He has clearly shown me about how many teens have committed crimes before the age of 18 in different parts of the world. "In the the U.S. more than 2,200 are serving life without parole." Liptalk mentions. Giving statistics helps readers to understand and visualize clearly what is going on. Another craft move the author has used is including quotes that other people have said. By including others quotes, I am able to understand their opinions and what they feel. Liptalk wants us to feel pity yet disappointment towards the teens below the age of 18 who have committed a crime because it is not expected from them.

Before reading the article I thought the teens were definitely guilty for what they have done. But as I kept reading my mind was changing about the issue. They are no longer completely guilty for the crimes. They must have a reason that has been upsetting them, so they took action in a way that affected them.  I personally agree with the Supreme Court about the fact that youths under the age of 18 are less mature.They don't have the full knowledge on the harsh conditions when they commit a crime. I feel as if adults have a better knowledge and know what they are doing when the teens don't. They are young, wild and crazy. These kids are underage and shouldn't be put behind bars for a life time. "Ninety percent of teen offenders do not become adult criminals" says Laurence Steinberg a psychology professor of temple university in Philadelphia. Youths under the age of 18 shouldn't be punished for longer than five years in my opinion (depending on which type of crime they have committed.)

"To ensure that kids are protected we have to recognize that they are actually different from adults." Marsha Levick says. Yes! I completely agree with this!!! Kids are way different from adults depending on their maturity. They are naive, young and don't fully understand the difference between right and wrong. "In teenagers, scientists have found that part of the brain that guides impulse control and weighs risks versus rewards is not fully mature. Research has also shown that a persons actions at age 13-14 are poor indications of the kind of adult he or she will become." Committing a crime at the age of 15 may also be a poor indication of the kind of adult the kid might become. I would like to know why kids commit these crimes in the first place, like what is there reason on doing this besides being upset with their boyfriend? Though teens committing crimes are horrifying, they shouldn't be punished forever.

Citation:  Liptalk, Adam. "Locked Awat Forever." Upfront Magazine Not given. 15 Jan. 2013 <http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/upfront/features/index.asp?article=f0130a>.