Vacancy at Guantanamo

[kentonio]

@Gribbler, You think 15 year olds have the emotional maturity to act as soldiers?

[kentonio]

The kid wasn't conscripted and knew full well what he was doing.

Relevant part bolded.

[Wezil]

It's like saying someone's a pedophile if they have sex with a 16-year-old. The kid wasn't conscripted and knew full well what he was doing.

So you disagree with the definition?

[giblets]

@Gribbler, You think 15 year olds have the emotional maturity to act as soldiers?

Do 18 year olds have emotional maturity? Lots of people won't even let them drink beer.

[giblets]

So you disagree with the definition?

You can say they're technically child soldiers (barely) but there's a huge difference between some 15 year old who decides to leave home and fight for the Taliban and some eight year olds getting forced to fight against their will.

[Wezil]

Some 16 year olds can drive and some can't.

In this jurisdiction you can't legally drive until you are 16. Perhaps we should do it on a one by one basis but things get complicated that way.

[Wezil]

That argument could of course go both ways - "Yes he's 19 but he's a young 19..."

[giblets]

Evaluating 15 year olds on a case by case basis to see if they understood what they were doing when they did it seems reasonable.

[kentonio]

You can say they're technically child soldiers (barely) but there's a huge difference between some 15 year old who decides to leave home and fight for the Taliban and some eight year olds getting forced to fight against their will.

America has a very odd view of children. Charging kids as adults for instance is insane.

[Wezil]

The problem is the US is actively going against a policy they and other nations have been trying to further, particularly with the use of child soldiers in african conflict states. You can't lecture them on use/treatment of children when you won't make the distinction yourself.

[giblets]

America has a very odd view of children. Charging kids as adults for instance is insane.

Deciding all people suddenly become capable of understanding murder and controlling themselves once eighteen years have passed since they were born is kind of insane.

[Wezil]

Then the US should have said so and not signed.

[kentonio]

Deciding all people suddenly become capable of understanding murder and controlling themselves once eighteen years have passed since they were born is kind of insane.

You mean as opposed to saying 'well this crime was absolutely horrible, so the child must be an evil adult who should be locked up for ever'?

[giblets]

You mean as opposed to saying 'well this crime was absolutely horrible, so the child must be an evil adult who should be locked up for ever'?

Who in their right mind wouldn't want homicidal teenagers to be locked up? What level of mental development do they have to achieve before you'll recognize it wasn't just a fluke and they are a danger to society?

[kentonio]

Who in their right mind wouldn't want homicidal teenagers to be locked up? What level of mental development do they have to achieve before you'll recognize it wasn't just a fluke and they are a danger to society?

Most countries have special systems for children who commit bad crimes, it's not necessary to treat them like adults and write off their lives.