Posted by glarson (Gwen Larson) on July 25, 2008 at 7:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)

More comment from original stories:

http://www.emporiagazette.com/news/2008/...

http://www.emporiagazette.com/news/2008/...

Posted by Fawn2008 (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 3:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)

it pretty sad when angle has to STEAL my nieces car and wreck it behind the zoo ans then hin and his friends break in the zoo and kill these innocent animals.

Posted by create (anonymous) on July 26, 2008 at 7:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)

So, it was a stolen car issue. Someone said earlier it wasn't. How else could a 13-year-old obtain a car, ask to borrow it? Sorry to hear that on top of killing our swans and geese, and destroying zoo property, that this kid also wrecked the car.

This is just one more reason why these kids need to pay for all this destruction by working at some kind of laborious task. I still like the idea one poster had of putting those kids inside the swans' cage with a sign saying he had killed them. Alas, that is humiliation and some agency would stop it, I'm sure.

Let's hope the judge sees fit to find some way those little terrorists can pay for this criminal behavior monetarily as well as with loss of freedom. Do they have boot camp for little kids?

Posted by yankee (anonymous) on July 27, 2008 at 10:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)

So seriously, if these parents are made to pay "child support" while these kids are in custody then so be it that every parent across this nation must pay "child support" while their child is in custody......and hey while we are at it why don't we make the families of every criminal in the "system", regardless of the criminal's age, pay support as long as they are in the system ! ! ! ! Everyone is quick to pass judgement on these parents, but does anyone actually know them. Maybe they are good parents ? ? Sometimes it is kind of hard to know where/what your kid is doing when you are sleeping. Do YOU ALWAYS KNOW WHERE YOUR KID IS? Ya know the thing about being a parent is that you do your best to teach the difference between right and wrong. Then you pray to God that they heard you all those years and that they do not get mixed up with kids that have a taste for breaking rules/laws ! ! !

Posted by methusla (anonymous) on July 28, 2008 at 8:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I have a question for everyone on this forum, my question is this.
You have a 13 year old and two eleven year olds who have seen fit to steal a car, commit breaking & entering and managed to kill innocent animals, in a cage and if they are allowed to get away with this crime with a slap on the wrist, what do you think their next crime will be, strong arm robbery, drug dealing, murder of an inocent person and if they do graduate to more serious crimes who will be to blame, their parents, those of us who don't have the stomach to demand equal punishment for all who commit a crime regardless of age or don't feel the parents have some responsibility in what their children do?
Also I was wondering, does anyone know how many street gangs there are in Emporia and if so what the ethnic make up of these gangs happens to be ?
I was just wondering, because some of the graffiti that I see around Emporia and some of the clothing that is worn, the way the hair is cut or worn and hand signs used by some people are all signs of street gang presence.
Just something to banter about and think about.

Posted by slipandslide (anonymous) on July 29, 2008 at 9:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

from what i have heard there are two gangs in town, dont know their names, dont care. if you are more interested in the topic, type into your search engine school gangs and some of the information is good.

Posted by apsuz (anonymous) on July 31, 2008 at 12:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Yankee, I don't think anyone is really trying to punish the parents by making them pay child support. And trying to collect support for everyone that is incarcerated would be ridicoulous. However, until these children turn 18, the parents should be financially responsible for them, regardless of where they are. I think that is the point being made here. If the children where in foster care long term, the parents would most likely be required to pay child support. If the parents where divorced, one would most likely be required to pay child support. If temporary custody where assigned by a judge to another person (friend, family, etc), the parents would most likely be required to pay child support. So why not continue to financially support the children while in custody for criminal acts if found guilty? If I were the parent of a child in a similiar situation, I would continue to be financially responsible for the child because it is the right thing to do. I choose to be a parent, and choose to accept the responsibilities that come along with it, no matter how difficult. However, in a situation like this, I believe that the children should not recieve unnecessary extras. Perhaps any extra money beyond necesities could be put into a college fund to be accessible by the children only when/if they graduate from high school and are accepted into college. Maybe this would help the children by knowing they have something they have to work for to get. And maybe that's just wishful thinking, hoping for a turn-around that is possible with proper guidance.

Posted by mzsparks (anonymous) on August 3, 2008 at 1:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Why does everyone want to throw the book at these kids? They obviously have serious psychological issues that need to be addressed with a counselor or psychiatrist. These kids are screaming for help. Why isn't anyone asking what we can do to help them? As a matter of fact, we should be thanking our lucky stars that they took out their agression on animals instead of people. This is an obvious plea for the proper psychological attention they should be getting. If they are placed in juvenile hall, they will more than likely continue to build on this rage and let it explode when they are finally released. Does anyone want to be their future victim? I know I don't. I hope these kids are treated immediately.

Posted by methusla (anonymous) on August 4, 2008 at 8:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)

mzsparks-criminals of all ages can and do get psychological counseling while being punished or incarcerated for their crimes, if they want the psychological help, however most either do not want help or just don't care and a simple slap on the wrist, in the form of counseling, etc. will only serve to show these kids and their parents that they can and have gotten away with what they did without being punished for it.
Were you ever punished by your parents or others for doing something wrong while you were a child growing up, I was and I never forgot it and I never did it again and thats why I have respect for others, their property, obey the law, and know whats right and wrong, because my parents and others took the responsibility to teach me in differnt ways respect, even if those ways of teaching me may have been harsh by todays standards, but I never stopped loving and respecting my parents or others who taught me right from wrong and respect for others.

Posted by create (anonymous) on August 4, 2008 at 8:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)

You're right, Methusla, these kids will receive psychiatric counseling whether or not they are incarcerated. Even if they are placed on probation and placed back with parents, they will have to go to the Mental Health Center. I'd be shocked and dismayed if the judge did not include this in his sentence because those kids need help, especially with recognizing wrong from right. I'd also be dismayed if the judge did not make the parents take some parenting courses.

You are also right about the value of punishment. The only thing a slap on the wrist does is send the message that it's okay to do wrong. We see that much too often today. Everytime I go to Wal Mart, I see dozens of children making demands and some even threatening to have their way. Parents are seen cajoling and begging their children to behave. Ha! A well-placed hand on the rear end would stop that. If not, removing privileges works. Time out? Please!

Somewhere in these posts came the news that a couple of those kids were in serious trouble in school this past year, one with a weapon of sorts. If schools would notify police of these kinds of violations, some sort of a prevention program could be instituted and these kids might learn a few things. Instead, schools are all too worried about privacy violations and give nothing more than an out of school suspension for a few days, a slap on the wrist at best.

Posted by methusla (anonymous) on August 4, 2008 at 10:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)

create-Amen to all you said, my rear end twitches a little even today just remembering some of the punishment that I recieved at the hand of both my mother and father when I was growing up and did something wrong, God bless you Mom and Dad, even though you have been gone these many years I still respect and love you for your raising me to respect others and know the penalty for doing wrong and the rewards for doing right,
I still gently rub my behind whenever I see how some of these kids today act and carry on, in public, etc., with such blatant disrespect for themselves, their parents and others, knowing full well what my behind would feel like if I did such things when I was a kid growing up.
Again I say amen to your words and agree with you completely.

Posted by yankee (anonymous) on August 5, 2008 at 2:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Create: "A well-placed hand on the rear end" I agree with this, however as a parent in this time and age, if I were to do this those standing in line with me at the Wal Mart might feel the urge to scold me for "spanking" and then turn you in to children's authority. Wal Mart would then provide survelience tape and the kids would be taken out of our home and placed with the county somewhere and we would have to spend a lot of money defending our actions. This is unfortunately how the world works because there are people who take a spanking "too far". Do not get me wrong, We do spank our children when the need arises. Usually, our children fall into line when we take privalages,(video games, TV, time with friends) away leaving spanking as our last resort. We will also make them do poop patrol in the back yard or even clean, scrub the big black trash can outside. We have a fairly clean trash can!!! The threat and then follow through of the latter two usually is enough to stop them in their tracks!!!

Posted by create (anonymous) on August 5, 2008 at 5:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Yankee, I like your style of parenting. Yes, I agree, corporal punishment is all too often met with public disapproval and a swat on the behind is soon exaggerated to become an all out beating, bruises and all. And yes, you're right, some people do take a swat too far. I guess there is no medium ground that's why I said, "If not, removing privileges works."

Yankee, the most important part of your style of parenting is that you are paying attention and not letting bad behavior go unnoticed. You have expectations. Too many people tune kids out. Instead you counter with punishment to fit the crime, whether it be removing privileges or poop patrol or cleaning the garbage can. (I'd sure behave this time of year.)

The main thing is that your kids know you are on top of things. I'd be willing to bet you have it down to a "look" that gets respect too. Also, I'll bet you give positive reinforcement when it is due. The kids we see in Wal Mart don't have that kind of attention at home that you pay your kids. I wish all parents were like you.