Its crazy to think that a juvenile as young as 13 or 14 years old could receive a life sentence without parole for committing certain crimes. However, "nationwide 79 young adolescents have been sentenced to die in prison" (NYTimes.org). How could the government allow for these kids to be placed in prison for life, even if they did commit a crime. It has been proven that adolescent brains are not as developed as adult brains, meaning that they do not fully understand the consequences of their actions. Therefor, how can we as a county put them away for something that they truly do not understand. It is ruining a life to lock them up forever, and these laws put in place by the government are way too harsh. It is not the law about a life sentence, as that applies to all "adults", but it is the law that lowers the age that a child can be tried as an "adult." By lowering the age, it is opening up the harsh ability to put the youth of America behind bars for life.
Gail Garinger seems just as outraged as myself. Because of this, her pathos appeal is the strongest in this article. But it is a strange pathos appeal, as it isn't her own emotions that get the reader, but a different technique. "These children were told that they could never change and that no one cared what became of them" (NYTimes.org). Obviously, this idea that they were shut off from the world and that no one cared was meant to target the emotions of the reader. However, there are other appeals in this article as well. Being that it is about government laws, a logos appeal adds another dimension. "Young people are biologically different from adults. Brain imaging studies reveal that the regions of the adolescent brain responsible for controlling thoughts, actions and emotions are not fully developed" (NYTimes.org). This scientific citation shows that adolescents are different than adult, and it does well to prove Garinger's credibility and show that it is more than just an angry rant.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/15/opinion/juveniles-dont-deserve-life-sentences.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
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