Don’t compound a tragedy

Don’t compound a tragedy

The state of Pennsylvania has taken on a challenging and necessarily expensive responsibility in Jordan Brown, the now 14-year-old boy found guilty in juvenile court of murdering his father’s fiancee when he was but 11 years old.

There are those who favored trying and treating Jason as an adult. No nation in western civilization holds prepubescent children to adult standards for the acts they commit.

There is a point at which young criminals may well deserve to be treated as if they were guilty beyond their years. But 11 is not that point. We don’t let 11-year-olds drive, drink, smoke, buy property or enlist in the Army. And for good reason. They are still children.

That said, Jordan committed a horrendous act in killing Kenzie Houk, 26, and her unborn child. And he should be punished for that until he reaches the age of 21.

But more important, the state of Pennsylvania must provide during that time the treatment necessary to allow an obviously troubled boy to emerge as a responsible man.

It is obvious that Jordan Brown has not gotten the attention he required in his young life. Killing someone, attempting to hide the evidence and going off to school as if it were any other morning is not normal behavior. The state now takes on the responsibility of undoing the damage done to this boy.