Prosecute a 9-year old? Prosecute a parent who does what 100% of parents do at least once--lose track of a child? Put the child in a supervised juvenile facility?
The kid knows what he did, and he knows he did something that resulted in the destruction of a business and jobs for seven people. His parents know it, too.
The business needs a compensation. A compassionate community would (1) let the parents talk to the child (2) let the fire chief discuss fire safety with the child (3) do yard sales, cake walks, and fundraisers to help the family compensate their debt to the business. Last of all, all of the above should forgive the child, and let him know that bad things sometimes happen when we do the wrong thing, and he might consider a career in fire safety to make up for the consequences of his bad decision to set a fire. He could have a better reason than most to keep fighting a bad fire and perhaps someday, save a life.
How the parents help this child grow up could make a child with problems become a man with answers.
Chattanooga: Fire guts Hixson Dollar General
Prosecute a 9-year old? Prosecute a parent who does what 100% of parents do at least once--lose track of a child? Put the child in a supervised juvenile facility?
The kid knows what he did, and he knows he did something that resulted in the destruction of a business and jobs for seven people. His parents know it, too.
The business needs a compensation. A compassionate community would (1) let the parents talk to the child (2) let the fire chief discuss fire safety with the child (3) do yard sales, cake walks, and fundraisers to help the family compensate their debt to the business. Last of all, all of the above should forgive the child, and let him know that bad things sometimes happen when we do the wrong thing, and he might consider a career in fire safety to make up for the consequences of his bad decision to set a fire. He could have a better reason than most to keep fighting a bad fire and perhaps someday, save a life.
How the parents help this child grow up could make a child with problems become a man with answers.
The business must be paid back.