An 8 Year Old Charged with Murder. That's a crime in itself.

There are very few things that I like about Facebook. The only reason I haven't deleted it is because I use it for my business page. I use it for my blogging promotions. And from time to time, I use it to check in on someone from a distance. Well, people tend to call that stalking.

Regardless, I really don't enjoy Facebook anymore.

Part of that reason is because people post ridiculous stories. Constantly over-sharing things that are unnecessary, including mounds and mounds of sad stories, videos of people popping over-sized pimples, and celebrity gossip that really doesn't pertain to anything relevant in the world.

But there was a story that popped up on my feed today {more like 30 minutes go} that I just couldn't get out of my head. For many reason.

For one, I cannot wrap my senses around why in the world any mother {yet alone two} would leave 5 children between the ages of 1-8 home alone by themselves. My first thought is: fire! Fire! What in the world would those children do in case of a fire. My second though is injury. What if one got out of bed and fell down the stairs. What if they went outside looking for mommy and got hit by a car, or went in the river. Even the simple thought of them being scared knowing that they could not find their loved one is bad enough. My next though is how could you possibly even enjoy yourself knowing your children are left alone with all these awful scenarios that could possibly occur.

But to hear that an 8 year old's actions led to the death of a 1 year old was by far the most damaging title of all. To think of all the children that were scarred by this tragic event. To imagine that all of this could have been prevented had the mothers thought of their children versus their selfish desires.

It's what I read further that took my breath away.

Trial. Murder. Don't "think" he will be tried as an adult. Heinous. Evil.

This is a child we are talking about. What we are doing is saying that he is capable of making adult decisions in the middle of a late night, alone, with a crying baby. Whether or not we believe he knows the magnitude of his actions, doesn't change the fact that this is still a child and one that needs our help and love and support more than ever before.

But instead, we are willing to label him, to judge him, to push hatred on him because a terrible thing happened. A very terrible, tragic, thing. Yes, his hands caused them. But what was inside his head is what matters. What sort of environment has he been brought up in. What has he been exposed to. What sort of love and guidance did he receive in his short 8 years of life.

Why are we, as a society, willing to ruin his entire life already. He is 8. He is a child. He still sounds like a child, is built like a child, and thinks like a child. 

To think of this child surrounded by police officers. To think of him having to deal with lawyers, judges, and other authority figures. To think of the labels that this child will have to carry with him for the rest of his life. To think of the looks of disgust, the words of hate that he will constantly hear. To think of him being so isolated now. To think of him crying for his mother.

It breaks my heart and makes me angry.

This isn't justice. This doesn't bring the young girl back. This doesn't change what has already happened. We have the opportunity to save a life here, one that is tragically hurting bad right now, and instead we dig the hole a little deeper. So deep that one day he won't be able to climb out of it.

Punishment is not the solution to this. Not even close. One life is already lost because of this tragic event, and our society is ready to ruin another one along the way.

All because of a decision that two grown adults made.