Guilty or Not Guilty?
By yspmyl
@yspmyl (3435)
Malaysia
October 5, 2010 5:44am CST
A 15 year old boy robbed the bank and was get caught, the police investigated that he actually heard his mom talking in the phone that she can't afford to pay the rental and they are going to be chase out from their apartment by the land lord. And his mom is a single mother. The boy think that he have no father, so it is his responsibility to take care of his mother and he need to find money to help his mother. But this boy get caught later because he robbed the bank. This is actually a story from my famous show "CSI New York". The story trigger me to think if the boy is in the good intention to help the mother to pay the rental but he now get caught because of he robbed the bank, is he consider wrong or right? Should he be put into jail? What do you think?
5 people like this
17 responses
@angelsmummy (1696)
•
5 Oct 10
Its wrong to an extent, I guess he was doing it for the right reasons, but its no excuse to steal. It was a sweet thing to do but now hes going to grow up with a criminal record and will strugle to find a job. I guess maybe the court should take into consideration the reasons it was done and the fact it wasnt for selfish reasons.
But on the other hand he needs to know that he cant go round doing things like that, I think in the case of the biy he should get a short jail sentance and community service and be made to apologise for his actions to the people he scared and robbed.
1 person likes this
@jerikjames (1041)
• Philippines
5 Oct 10
Regardless of his intentions, of course he's still guilty. There's just the issue of morality if what he did is right or wrong. Legally of course he's wrong, but based in morality on how the society dictates it, are his actions right or are they wrong? We tackled this in psychology. And according to our studies, in these kinds of situations, it's up to whoever did the action what he could say to his actions. 
It wouldn't compensate for what he did of course, but the real issue is how would he feel for himself. 
It wouldn't compensate for what he did of course, but the real issue is how would he feel for himself. @yspmyl (3435)
• Malaysia
6 Oct 10
Yes, I agree that he is guilty but he should not be put in jail. In this CSI episode, the boy was not charged. And if to treat it in rational way, he is guilty but to treat it in a more human way, he should not be punished. What need to be do is to send him to reform house to learn what is right and what is wrong.
1 person likes this
@jerikjames (1041)
• Philippines
6 Oct 10
I agree. I think I would do that if I were in the place of the authorities. He's still a kid, and he still has a lot things that could happen to him and getting him in jail will really jeopardize his future. It's just sad though if a kid could actually do stuff like that for their family.
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
6 Oct 10
Hi Yspmyl,
I get it that his intent was good but it doesn't make it right. I'm not sure jail is a good idea for any 15 yr old but there needs to be repercussions. Times are tough for many of us and robbing banks and stealing from others is not the answer. At 15 he should know right from wrong. A better way to help his mom would be to try to earn some money some legit way. Truthfully, this is not his problem and it is sad and also kind of commendable that he took it to be.
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
13 Oct 10
I agree with you that this kid should not be in jail at his age and especially if it is first time getting into trouble. You know what they say about jails....they don't reform but rather they are schools for criminals. I pretty much feel the same about reform schools. If this kid was in and out of trouble then maybe but if he is a basically good kid, I don't see what good could become of throwing him in with a bunch of kids that have been in and out of trouble a lot. Maybe a tour of the jail so that he could see what could be in store for him if he didn't learn from this experience and maybe some community service would be better for him. And restitution of course or did they get all the money back?
@yspmyl (3435)
• Malaysia
13 Oct 10
I think to put a 15 year old boy is not the right choice or decision. He should be send to the reform house but not jail. If you were to put the boy to jail, I do not think that the boy will have any more future. I think to punish a teenager must also think about the future for him as this will probably bring more social issues to the society.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
10 Oct 10
hi yspmyl if this is a true s tory I think the judge will consider all sides of this and he will probably be sent to a reformatory for a few years. what he did was wrong even though he was trying to help his mom, for one thing He should have gone to a f amily relative or to his minister for help instead of breaking the law. any responsible adult family member could have helped his mom or the minister could have helped as lots of churches have funds to help their congregation members.He would be counseled and perhaps given probation too as his mom was in trouble.
@yspmyl (3435)
• Malaysia
14 Oct 10
Hi Hatley, you are right and I believe that is what one should do when they facing problem, the right way is to ask for help but not to think of something easy and not obey the rule. I believe if this is true, then the boy must have lack of some kind of education like moral and ethics.
@iwinagain (545)
•
6 Oct 10
He did it for good reasons, but it's still wrong to steal. Instead of stealing he should have just talked to his mom about his worries and discuss how they're going to get help to keep themselves sheltered.
@marythan (73)
• Philippines
6 Oct 10
poor child.... i think i put the 50% guilty to the boy and 50% to the mother. The mother should have taught his child that despite poverty we should never do things like robbing just to get payments for apartment rentals ... there are other means like doing decent job to earn and survive, she should have implant a good conscience so it can prevent somehow for a child to do bad things but of course the child should also take the consequences of his action for the benefit of learning and for peaceful community. Though the purpose is positive but the action is sinful still not an excuse.
-- The child should not be put into jail because he is still a minor and needs guidance, he should be in an institution wherein he would be guided accordingly.
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
5 Oct 10
I believe I remember that episode, though I've seen another show where a boy did the same thing. I think that it is wrong, but that he was trying to do what he thought was right by helping his mother. I am sure he knew it was wrong, but he was desperate because he didn't want his mother and he to be kicked out of the apartment.
He should not be punished for it, other then to be told that it was a wrong thing to do, and maybe have him do some community service at a center where he can see other people who are either the same or worse off then he and his mother are.
@yspmyl (3435)
• Malaysia
7 Oct 10
Yes, the teenage need to do something to repay back what he have done wrong, in that way, I believe it will make him remember for life and he will no do it again in the future, or else, he will think that if he do it for the good shake of his family, then he will do it again to help his family and think that the authority or the judge will forgive him one more time for doing something wrong and against the rules.
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
6 Oct 10
Hi. yspmyl. He did it the wrong way, but only for the right reasons though. Nowadays it is very hard for many parents. The child feels like they have to be the one that supports the family. What he has done was wrong and against the law. But, it was right that he did not want to see his mom suffer from being chased out of their apartment by the landlord. This is the main reason why many people are robbing banks these days. All because they are trying to make ends meet in their families. It is very sad, but honestly true.
@yspmyl (3435)
• Malaysia
13 Oct 10
Yes, I believe this happen in the real world as well, many people have to commit crime just because of the living pressure. This case shows us that the boy did the right thing to help the family but just did it in a wrong way. I believe there will be many other way to do it but not to robe the bank. They just need to ask for help, and I believe there will be people that willing to help them.
@shia88 (4571)
• Malaysia
5 Oct 10
Hi,
No matter what this little boy is doing the wrong thing
by robbing the bank,although he is trying to help up his
single mother,but robbing a bank is not the right way to
earn money, His mother can always go out to work or
this little boy can try to work part-time job,at least not doing
something that against the law.
Feel bad that this boy family is pretty poor and hope they
will be able to get out from this financial burden. Get help from
relatives or close friends.
@yspmyl (3435)
• Malaysia
7 Oct 10
Hi! Shai,
This is not the real story but the story in one of the TV show titled CSI New York, the boy's mother was a single mother and the boy think that he have to carry the family burden to help his mom but he have doing it in the wrong way. I think there are many way they can do in the real life to earn money, yeah! Just like you say, they can do part-time job or find a full time job to support the family. They can also ask someone like friends or relative to help if they are in emergency needed the money.
@yspmyl (3435)
• Malaysia
7 Oct 10
I think this is something very hard to judge if I were the judge, it is within the border of right or wrong. Just like if you were to help someone to fight the thief and you accidentally killed the thief, you may also be charge murder because you have killed someone.
@xiaohunmeihua (209)
• China
5 Oct 10
A poor boy, isn't he? The reality actually force such a young boy to be a "robber", it is really ironic case for the whole society. To be honest, I do admire this boy because of his courage to undertake the duty of his family. But the seriousness of the law should not be doubted, it is a wrong deed, but I do not think he should be put into the jail for he is only a little kid, and also the relavant departments should self-questioning themselves as well.
@pankajgarg (797)
• India
5 Oct 10
it is ethically wrong to rob a bank but since the bank is robbed by a 15 year old child he is not mature enough to take right decisions and he can be excused but the mother should have looked for an alternate apartment which is somewhat cheap or asked someone to help her or looked for a good job. but if the things cannot be sorted out we should leave them to god so as to give us a right direction but if a mature person is found guilty in such an offense then he or she cannot be spared because that person knows the consequence of his act and the boy may be excused because he might don't know all the consequences of his act.
@yspmyl (3435)
• Malaysia
11 Oct 10
Yes, by ethic, the boy is wrong but since he have no choice and no one can help him, he have made up the wrong decision, his mother not even know that his son robbed the bank and until the boy admitted it. I think if this is the case, it is not the boy's neither the mother's fault but the society's fault. The society pressure have force them to be poor.
@prinzcy (32305)
• Malaysia
5 Oct 10
The wrong doesn't make thing right, regardless of the intention. If we agree that he did the good thing by robbing a bank, then it would be right to kill someone so that we could help someone else or something. He might need the money, he didn't have a choice but the act was still wrong.
@SamShima (71)
• Nigeria
5 Oct 10
This boy is not only guilty but a robber also. The fact is there are several ways of raising money to settle rent even at the bank without having robbed the bank. If everybody goes to the bank to rob and pay rent, how many millions of banks would we have to robb from? He should not only be jailed but should also be given twelve strokes of the cane.
SamShima.
@yspmyl (3435)
• Malaysia
7 Oct 10
I think for a very young boy at the age of 15 will not have much choice especially when they are poor and need an immediate money for the rental. They will alwas think of the easiest way to get the money. I do not agree to can a young boy since this is not so appropriate. Those who robber and killed people only deserved for this kind of punishment.
@rakadanda (100)
• United States
5 Oct 10
hmmm,,, the boy's intentions are good, but I thought the poor boy even though he robbed a bank just to help her mother who was in need of money to pay the rent but the boy's behavior would be bad for him.
