Last weekend nine high school boys from my local area apparently got bored towards the end of their February vacation, went onto the internet, learned how to go about making a chemical bomb out of a soda bottle, and then proceeded to do so. They then allegedly drove around and placed one in a random mailbox and another in the driveway of a fellow student, which wound up under a car on that property. They both detonated, causing considerable damage to the mailbox, and minimal damage to the underside of the car. They were caught, they were arrested, and they now face criminal charges, the most serious of which is possession of an infernal machine which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison or a $1000 fine.
The students, all of which have an otherwise clean record and many of which are 18, received a 7:30 curfew pending case review next month and face disciplinary action at school. The boys admitted to the police that they did this, but stated that it was a practical joke with no intention of causing harm. There is no denying that they were lucky. The exact chemical makeup within the soda bottles has not been disclosed, however, the fact that the explosion had enough force to severely damage the mailbox is enough proof that someone could easily have gotten hurt.
Naturally the comments on the online newspapers have gone rabid. Some take the stance these boys committed acts of terrorism, and in the face of a post 9/11 world there should be zero tolerance for their actions. Others take the stance that these are good kids, from good families, who have never committed a previous crime. They state that though the boys made a very bad decision no one was hurt, and while they should be held accountable they should not be sent to prison for what could have happened.
So let’s think about this. Think back to when you were 18, or if you have teenage children consider them. If you made this stupid, stupid mistake, would you support a maximum sentence if you or your child had committed this act? And think about if it was your mailbox, or your car. Would your stance be that these boys should go to prison for the destruction of your property or for the possibility that you could have been harmed?
If convicted, do these boys need to be punished? I believe absolutely yes, they do. Should prison be their sentence? Will they come out better citizens, making a positive contribution to society if their college education (some of which I hear have scholarships that could be lost) is delayed, possibly even permanently? I do not pretend to know enough about the inside walls of our correctional institutions beyond the one semester I took of criminal psychology, but I do feel I know enough to say that these boys would be drastically changed, and it will not for the better. This one horribly misguided evening will not end their lives, but if they are sent to prison for an extended period of time, it could very well lead them to a path of further destruction. And please let me clarify, I do not hold this opinion because they are considered otherwise “good kids from good families”; I say this for any first time teenage offender who just made the biggest mistake of his life.
I’m sure I would have a different opinion if someone was hurt, or worse if their actions had taken a life. And I’m sure some would argue, what’s to stop the next group of kids from doing the same thing if these boys get off so lightly? There are others who would say these are not boys. These are 17 and 18 year olds on the brink of manhood, and it’s time to start acting like adults. These are all valid points. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if these boys, as part of a hefty community service requirement (and fines for the destruction of property), were to speak out in public to other teens to discuss their mistakes, how they almost lost everything, and what they have learned as a result? I hope that the judge responsible for deciding the fate of these boys will consider not only the crime and the risk to the well being of themselves and others, but also the actual result of the damage. Not just the destruction of property that took place, but also the future of the nine lives at stake.
This is my opinion. I would love to hear yours.
