Judge Dellick is wrong about endless second chances

Judge Dellick is wrong about endless second chances
EDITOR:
As Judge Dellick stated in The Vindicator on Jan. 11, the trend toward juvenile offenders is rehabilitation. And I do agree with that up to a point. But once the juvenile has crossed the line from misdemeanor and even minor felony to "serious offenses," I tend to agree with the State of Ohio that says that juveniles can be tried as adults starting at age 14.
A very large majority of juvenile offenders know how to play the system. They are street smart enough to know that they can get away with anything -- drug dealing, rape, death, etc. -- and only be charged as a delinquent child as long as they are under 18 and Judge Dellick sits on the bench.
About the juvenile justice system, she says, "This is no kiddie court. We have serious offenders with serious offenses." Still she refuses to turn them over to adult courts. She also says, "you have to learn to prioritize," but she does not. To her, all juveniles, no matter how serious their crime, deserve a second, third or for that matter, indefinite chances.
Could the judge's kind of thinking be the reason that Mahoning County's rate of violent crime among juvenile offenders is double the state and national average? How is that "breaking the cycle of recidivism?"
How many more repeat offenders, and for that matter, how many more victims is she going to create before Judge Dellick realizes that serious crime should be dealt with seriously? Rehabilitation works only for those who want to be rehabilitated. Ask anyone familiar with a 12-step program.
In the case of serious crimes, punishment not rehabilitation, is the major deterrent.
Rev. PAUL GRAHAM
Boardman
When our children achieve,they need to be recognized
EDITOR:
I should never pick up a paper or listen to the news. I get angry by what I read and hear. For instance, the fact that intelligent children cannot have their intelligence shown by the awards banquets or by displaying their names on a bulletin board. How stupid is that? Well, I will tell you. VERY. Where in this world do we not want to honor people who achieve?
The day I was picked for the National Honor Society, my parents were invited unknown to me. My Mom wanted me to wear something nicer to school, but since I had gym, I told her that it was easier to get dressed if I didn't have to wear nylons. I never suspected why my Dad was dressed in a nice shirt and pair of pants. When my friend Carol came down the aisle in the auditorium and "tagged" me, with my parents in the balcony proudly waving, what a wondrous moment.
My sons each took a different path, and I told them to be the best they could be in whatever they chose. My elder son is now a CPA, and his younger brother is an electrical engineer. When they were in school, they each won awards in their respective classes.
I think we do a disservice to our children if we don't honor achievers. If your child cannot be at the top, then you need to work with that child to become the best they could be. Why do a few dictate to the many?
Closing the schools every time it snows in the winter is beyond my comprehension. If everyone is worried about the children's safety, then keep them home studying instead of carting them to the malls.
I have a perfect solution to this situation. Close the schools from January to April and open them from April until January. Not a popular idea since it gets hot. So air condition the schools. Think of how much more the children would learn if they were in school more often. Well, that's in my world.
PAT ZOCCALI
Warren