Slenderman judge is right

There’s a lot of public outcry as to how the two girls in the Slenderman case should be treated. People speak about how they would act if it were their children involved. The problem is, it’s not their children involved, and the only ones who should be speaking on that are the ones who have had children involved in something like this.

It is OK to have an opinion; it’s virtually a “guaranteed right” in our country. But what is not right is what happened. Outside of some form of unspeakable self-defense, the attempted murder, or murder of a child, should never be justifiable. Ever. Mental illness is not a justification.

Where do we draw the line? When do we decide enough is enough and stop something that is becoming more and more of a “thing” in this day and age? When we begin to empathize with the attackers and justify what should be an unjustifiable act, we contribute to its continued existence. If the assailants’ parents truly feel their daughters are being wronged, then they should advocate for change of the juvenile justice system.

The judge is correct; the system is truly inadequate in its current form to deal with a crime this horrific in nature. The parents should advocate for an option that deals with long-term consequences for the serious crimes committed by “children.” I use quotes, because to me, once you’ve tried to kill someone, you stop being a child.

One of the mothers was quoted as saying, “Someone should not have to pay for the rest of their life for something that happened when they were 12.” But the victim is going to pay for what happened to her for the rest of her life. I agree, the victim should not have to pay for the rest of her life for something that happened to her when she was 12.

Shannon Tracy Milwaukee