[I am fully aware that the title makes me sound like I’m fifty, knitting while sitting in a rocking chair. In reality, I’m eighteen, knitting while sitting on my computer chair. Hah.]

For those who haven’t heard, a group of third graders in Waycross, Georgia hatched a plot to get revenge on their teacher (who apparently scolded one of the children for standing on a chair, aka “get off”). They brought weapons to school that included a knife, handcuffs, duct tape and other items. In the class of 8 to 10 year olds, 9 of the kids were involved and 3 have been charged. But, according to children experts, it is “highly unlikely they would have been successful” at attacking their teacher. Apparently “children so young often aren’t considered competent to stand trial […] because they lack the maturity to understand even the basics of the legal system. They may also be deemed too young to have had criminal intent.”

Perhaps that’s true, perhaps they are too young to understand the basics of the legal system. However, they should know right from wrong when they’re between ages 8-10. They should be old enough to know that bringing a knife to school is wrong. They should be old enough to know that bringing a knife to school with the intent of causing physical harm to their teacher is wrong. They should be old enough to respect their elders that doesn’t involve using handcuffs and duct tape against an adult. If they were competent enough to get their merry band of peers together to hatch a plot to cause harm to their teacher (for telling a girl to get off a chair) and if they were competent enough to bring the weapons to school in order to do so, maybe they are competent enough to be stand trial in a juvenile court. Maybe they should be punished. If they were willing to bring the things to school to hurt their teacher for doing her job, they should probably suffer the consequences. I believe the children should get counseling, they should get professional help, but at the same time, they brought items to an elementary school that they were attending with the intent to cause physical harm to another person. I’m just surprised the kids involved haven’t gotten expelled and only suspended. What happened to just playing in the playground during your recess break? Instead of playing tag, hatching a plot to hurt a teacher is that much more fun? Kids should be kids, they shouldn’t be carrying knives.

Read the article: here.