8217;s experience, perspective, judgment,maturity, and restraint” (2000). Mr. Whitman is theExecutive Director of the Children’s Rights Division and waswriting this letter on behalf of Gary Graham who wassentenced to death at the age of seventeen. Many peopleshare this view that juveniles are at an age where theyshould be held responsible for their actions, but punishmentas severe as death is too extreme. That may be theviewpoint in Texas, however out in Los Angeles the tidesturn a bit. One citizen there believes that if a kid cancommit an adult crime they should face adult consequences(Farley & Willwerth, 1998). Out in Los Angeles they have aproblem that makes them feel a bit different about “innocentlittle children.” Gangs often use young kids to go out andbe the “trigger pullers” because they know that the youngerkids might not have to face capital punishment (Farley &Willworth,1998). This shows two different sides to the coinon how people view this issue and some of the differingreasons.In Beccaria’s often quotesd writing On Crimes andPunishment, he gives us his foundational reason forpunishment; “[P]unishmnets and the means adopted forinflicting them should... be so selected as to make the mosteffacious and lasting impression on the minds of men withthe least torment to the body of the condemned” (1995). Bythis definition we then ask the question, is death the leastpossible means of correcting our juveniles? Later onBeccaria goes on to give his view on the death penalty. Hebelieved that there were only two reasons to put one todeath; if after losing his freedom he still poses a threatto the nation or if “his death is the true and only brake toprevent others from committing crimes” (1998). The Supreme Court in the ruling of the Thompson casestruggled with two key terms to try and justify capitalpunishment for teenagers, retribution and deterrence. Theresul...
