Neighbor: Fire-starting boy a 'good kid'

[Drew and Tik 0]

I don't think criminal charges should be brought up against a 10 year old child for playing with matches, by it's very definition this is not arson in any penal code I know. If it was an adult they wouldn't even be charged with arson, it would be reckless endangerment or criminal neglect, depending on their excuse (only arson if their excuse was that they wanted to set fire to houses and destroy property/hurt people).

I do think more should be done than "just let him live with his bad choices" though. If the parents can't keep him in line, maybe they need some help. From the sounds of it he has a lot of problems with his neighbors. He does deserve a second chance, he's not evil or anything, but something needs to be done by adults to make sure he gets some sort of direction and help.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I don't think criminal charges should be brought up against a 10 year old child for playing with matches, by it's very definition this is not arson in any penal code I know. If it was an adult they wouldn't even be charged with arson, it would be reckless endangerment or criminal neglect, depending on their excuse (only arson if their excuse was that they wanted to set fire to houses and destroy property/hurt people).

I do think more should be done than "just let him live with his bad choices" though. If the parents can't keep him in line, maybe they need some help. From the sounds of it he has a lot of problems with his neighbors. He does deserve a second chance, he's not evil or anything, but something needs to be done by adults to make sure he gets some sort of direction and help.

I'm sure he'll get that - but he still has to live with that on his conscience. That for most people would be enough to straighten out their behaviour.

[Nagishkaw 510]

Take him out to to the woodshed. A 10 year old should really know better.

[Sister Fracas 5]

I do think more should be done than "just let him live with his bad choices" though. If the parents can't keep him in line, maybe they need some help. From the sounds of it he has a lot of problems with his neighbors. He does deserve a second chance, he's not evil or anything, but something needs to be done by adults to make sure he gets some sort of direction and help.

Definitely and I'd think maybe a bit of community work in the fire ravaged area to see the consequences. Nip further anti-social behavior in the bud....

[Drew and Tik 0]

I don't think criminal charges should be brought up against a 10 year old child for playing with matches, by it's very definition this is not arson in any penal code I know. If it was an adult they wouldn't even be charged with arson, it would be reckless endangerment or criminal neglect, depending on their excuse (only arson if their excuse was that they wanted to set fire to houses and destroy property/hurt people).

I do think more should be done than "just let him live with his bad choices" though. If the parents can't keep him in line, maybe they need some help. From the sounds of it he has a lot of problems with his neighbors. He does deserve a second chance, he's not evil or anything, but something needs to be done by adults to make sure he gets some sort of direction and help.

I'm sure he'll get that - but he still has to live with that on his conscience. That for most people would be enough to straighten out their behaviour.

Yeah, this might be the wake call he needs to start sorting things out. Still have to feel bad for all the people that lost their homes, hope they had insurance. You're right though, he must feel terrible, if he didn't then there would be a much bigger problem.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

When my Dad was ten he was playing with matches and set fire to a small field in Wales, UK. Luckily the fire engines were able to put it out and he was never caught (lucky for him I mean, his Dad would have whipped his #######), but my Dad certainly isn't a degenerate nor has he psychological problems. He was just a naughty kid, he had no malicious intent to burn down a field. I'm sure this boy is exactly the same.

I guess those that would tar and feather the kid were perfect children....

I sure did not set any fires that had the potential to take innocent life and destroy property on a wide scale. If that's what you mean by perfect, then yes, I was

is just easy to jugde someone else...

It is. And I wonder how honest Jodo is being here. Did he/she really not do anything stupid as a kid that had the potential for being life-threatening or get dangerously out of hand? A lot of kids have an unhealthy fascination with fire, or (for another example) putting things in the road for cars to run over.

Whether or not those antics cause a disaster isn't really the point. The actions were still stupid, still negligent and could easily have ended up getting out of hand.

The difference here is that in addition to being stupid, this kid had bad luck.

[Sister Fracas 5]

A lot of kids have an unhealthy fascination with fire, or (for another example) putting things in the road for cars to run over.

Whether or not those antics cause a disaster isn't really the point. The actions were still stupid, still negligent and could easily have ended up getting out of hand.

The difference here is that in addition to being stupid, this kid had bad luck.

When I think how my friends and I use to put things on rail road tracks to see the flattened versions. Could we have caused an accident? Maybe.... one of us trips on the track as the train is coming, the train engineer sees one of us on the track, breaks the train, the train derails injuring passengers inside. Could it have happened....probably the tiniest of tiny possibilities, but our behavior was reckless and stupid nonetheless.

[JODO 2]

When my Dad was ten he was playing with matches and set fire to a small field in Wales, UK. Luckily the fire engines were able to put it out and he was never caught (lucky for him I mean, his Dad would have whipped his #######), but my Dad certainly isn't a degenerate nor has he psychological problems. He was just a naughty kid, he had no malicious intent to burn down a field. I'm sure this boy is exactly the same.

I guess those that would tar and feather the kid were perfect children....

I sure did not set any fires that had the potential to take innocent life and destroy property on a wide scale. If that's what you mean by perfect, then yes, I was

is just easy to jugde someone else...

It is. And I wonder how honest Jodo is being here. Did he/she really not do anything stupid as a kid that had the potential for being life-threatening or get dangerously out of hand? A lot of kids have an unhealthy fascination with fire, or (for another example) putting things in the road for cars to run over.

Whether or not those antics cause a disaster isn't really the point. The actions were still stupid, still negligent and could easily have ended up getting out of hand.

The difference here is that in addition to being stupid, this kid had bad luck.

UMM no I did not and you don't have to wonder. I did nothing even near that scale, TYVM. Just because some kids are up and coming arsonists, does not mean I was or that all are.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

A lot of kids have an unhealthy fascination with fire, or (for another example) putting things in the road for cars to run over.

Whether or not those antics cause a disaster isn't really the point. The actions were still stupid, still negligent and could easily have ended up getting out of hand.

The difference here is that in addition to being stupid, this kid had bad luck.

When I think how my friends and I use to put things on rail road tracks to see the flattened versions. Could we have caused an accident? Maybe.... one of us trips on the track as the train is coming, the train engineer sees one of us on the track, breaks the train, the train derails injuring passengers inside. Could it have happened....probably the tiniest of tiny possibilities, but our behavior was reckless and stupid nonetheless.

Well it has happened - kids have thrown rocks and stuff from motorway and rail bridges. As I said - my author friend and his chums attacked a gas station with flaming arrows. That could have obviously caused a massive explosion. In fact, if it had - his life would have probably turned out much different than it did. As it is - most of the time I think people look back on things like that and see that they were dangerously irresponsible. They might not have seen that at the time... but then I'd suggest most childhood pranks don't end up going wildly out of control like that.

[Amby 490]

I wonder if they'll make his parents responsible for all the damages it caused...doesn't sound like they can afford it

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

When my Dad was ten he was playing with matches and set fire to a small field in Wales, UK. Luckily the fire engines were able to put it out and he was never caught (lucky for him I mean, his Dad would have whipped his #######), but my Dad certainly isn't a degenerate nor has he psychological problems. He was just a naughty kid, he had no malicious intent to burn down a field. I'm sure this boy is exactly the same.

I guess those that would tar and feather the kid were perfect children....

I sure did not set any fires that had the potential to take innocent life and destroy property on a wide scale. If that's what you mean by perfect, then yes, I was

is just easy to jugde someone else...

It is. And I wonder how honest Jodo is being here. Did he/she really not do anything stupid as a kid that had the potential for being life-threatening or get dangerously out of hand? A lot of kids have an unhealthy fascination with fire, or (for another example) putting things in the road for cars to run over.

Whether or not those antics cause a disaster isn't really the point. The actions were still stupid, still negligent and could easily have ended up getting out of hand.

The difference here is that in addition to being stupid, this kid had bad luck.

UMM no I did not and you don't have to wonder. I did nothing even near that scale, TYVM. Just because some kids are up and coming arsonists, does not mean I was or that all are.

I didn't say you were - just that I think most people can find at at least one incident in their childhood and draw a parallel to this where an irresponsible act could have resulted in death or injury - to themselves or other people.

Whether it was near that scale or not isn't the point - you (and I) did what we did, and luckily for us we didn't cause a disaster.

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

Well it has happened - kids have thrown rocks and stuff from motorway and rail bridges.

had an incident like that in the late 90's in darmstadt, germany. american kids throwing stuff off a bridge onto the autobahn, killed a german woman and injured a few other germans. it sure didn't do anything for american-german relations.

[JODO 2]

When my Dad was ten he was playing with matches and set fire to a small field in Wales, UK. Luckily the fire engines were able to put it out and he was never caught (lucky for him I mean, his Dad would have whipped his #######), but my Dad certainly isn't a degenerate nor has he psychological problems. He was just a naughty kid, he had no malicious intent to burn down a field. I'm sure this boy is exactly the same.

I guess those that would tar and feather the kid were perfect children....

I sure did not set any fires that had the potential to take innocent life and destroy property on a wide scale. If that's what you mean by perfect, then yes, I was

is just easy to jugde someone else...

It is. And I wonder how honest Jodo is being here. Did he/she really not do anything stupid as a kid that had the potential for being life-threatening or get dangerously out of hand? A lot of kids have an unhealthy fascination with fire, or (for another example) putting things in the road for cars to run over.

Whether or not those antics cause a disaster isn't really the point. The actions were still stupid, still negligent and could easily have ended up getting out of hand.

The difference here is that in addition to being stupid, this kid had bad luck.

UMM no I did not and you don't have to wonder. I did nothing even near that scale, TYVM. Just because some kids are up and coming arsonists, does not mean I was or that all are.

I didn't say you were - just that I think most people can find at at least one incident in their childhood and draw a parallel to this where an irresponsible act could have resulted in death or injury - to themselves or other people.

Whether it was near that scale or not isn't the point - you (and I) did what we did, and luckily for us we didn't cause a disaster.

I did not do things like that. I see now that my parents really watched what I did and who I was with and I thank them for it. I don't have any wild stories about the time I burned down the neighbor's barn. I just cannot relate and I think this kid and his parents need to have consequences. It's like some people think anything goes these days just because the criminal is a kid. I think that is leading our society down a deadend. As a former lawyer, I do believe that mercy should be tinged with justice,but he needs to be punished and the parents at least charged with negligent supervision.

[Drew and Tik 0]

I wonder if they'll make his parents responsible for all the damages it caused...doesn't sound like they can afford it

They won't, though they probably should, looks like they're doing some stellar parenting. I know you can't watch your kid 24/7, especially when you're poor, but at least make some attempt to control him.

Edit: Though I definitely don't see a lawsuit against them by the homeowners out of the question. They don't have the money to pay though.

Edited November 2, 2007 by Drew and Tik

[Peikko 1,575]

No one knows very much about either the kid, the parents or the events, and yet some are almost ready to lynch the kid and his parents.

Agreed with those who say that most of us have been in a situation as kids that 'but for...' could have ended in some kind of disaster. For those who think they are saints, well...what can one say about that?

Edited November 2, 2007 by Purple_Hibiscus