Nathaniel Brazil Research Paper

Should a teenager who made a critical mistake have to serve a life without parole sentence for one moment’s mistake? Nathaniel Brazil did and he is still in prison today. I agree that the majority of supreme court justices who passed the law making mandatory life sentences without parole for juveniles who commit first or second degree murder are unfair and even unconstitutional because they are still children which make them immature in all aspects. Their brains are still not fully developed, and they make rash or quick decisions without thinking about long term consequences due to this. To give a juvenile a whole life sentence without parole for a moment's mistake or decision that was made when they haven't fully developed or learned what

Nathaniel Brazil brought a gun to school because he was sent home on the last day of school and missed out on the festivities and didn't get to say goodbye to his girlfriend. His emotions were that flared up that he decided to grab a gun that shouldn't have even been left out and then proceed to head to school and kill his teacher when he didn't let him back in class. “On top of everything it was his favorite teacher and he couldn't recall a reason for doing so and even looked very confused in his trial” (Thompson 1). These actions show that Brazil had no idea that his actions had no thought put into them. There were even protesters outside of his trial wielding signs saying “a child is not a man” (1). After saying that you can easily compare his actions to what an adult's actions would be and a normal adult wouldn't have been that upset over all of this due to adults being more emotionally developed, therefore making them more emotionally mature and developed. “On top of all this a child isn't even physically developed fully and you can only imagine what would happen to them being thrown in prison with grown men that have been incarcerated for years and years” (Garinger 2). It is a big shock even comparing the physical development of most teenagers to everyday adults as it is. Teenagers are teenagers for a reason, not

“So what, then, to do about Lionel Tate-a kid who apparently still doesn’t understand that “pile-driving” fellow inmates is not a good thing” (Lundstrom 2) ? After committing a heinous crime at 12 years old Lionel Tate still couldn’t find what was wrong in his actions. If you can’t understand what is wrong with your actions do you really think it is smart to give someone a life sentence without parole? “In another week, he will find out who tucks him in at night. And where” (2). These children who commit crimes don't fully understand where they will end up , how long they will be there, what will go on when they get there, and how others will be effected from their actions. Adults being more educated, experienced, and wiser know this while children do not. “Meanwhile, in Texas, a lawmaker has had it. You want to throw the adult book at kids? Fine, says Democratic state Rep. Ron Wilson of Houston. Lower the voting age to fourteen”(1). If children can’t be trusted with the same things as adults and denied the same privileges because they are irresponsible and young then why would you charge them with an adult sentence when they can’t do adult things? You can’t give someone a life without parole sentence who hasn’t had the opportunity to even grow up and learn from their actions, let alone understand why they did something and the consequences of actions like