why does the USA still use the death penalty against children?

Question

http://web.amnesty.org/report2003/Usa-summary-eng

its disgracefull that it ever existed in the first place...

Answer 1

Actually, the United States no longer executes children.

In March 2005, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty for those who had committed their crimes at under 18 years of age was cruel and unusual punishment and hence barred by the Constitution. (Roper v. Simmons.)
Here is an excerpt from the decision:
"When a juvenile offender commits a heinous crime, the State can exact forfeiture of some of the most basic liberties, but the State cannot extinguish his life and his potential to attain a mature understanding of his own humanity."

Sadly, we still have the death penalty, but more and more Americans are changing their minds about it as they are learning that we have given death sentences to over 120 innocent people.


Brutal crimes should be severely punished, of course, but one can only hope that learning the facts about the death penalty and applying common sense will prevail over revenge.

Answer 2

Sorry, but if a 17 year-old is killing people they are old enough to know better and should be charged as an adult. I don't think kids under 15 should be getting the death penalty though. At 17 they are only a few months from being an adult. 18 is not a magic number where kids automatically have morals and know that killing is permanent. Children as young as 6-7 know that death is not something that people can come back from.

Answer 3

cause we are evil wake up we think we are the hand of god we are the global police are money is not worth much china has been lending us alot of money all our business are leaving prices are going up millions of criminals run across our borders every country hates us accept us we love our selves so much we travel every where and where shirts and hates that say i love the USA. But some people are only alive because it is illegal to kill them. people don't give a crap about anyone but them selves we are cannon fodder just look at iraq troops are still there some have been their for awhile they cannot leave cause they keep getting called up but who cares we are to involved with our xboxs and playstations to worry about that kind of stuff there is nothing to worry about not like their is a draft or anything like that so i will just put a ribbon on my car but we are going to iran and don't you know they do have all kinds of suprises waiting for us. wake the hell up you ignorant selfish self absorbed people.

Answer 4

We don't. Notice the date on that is 2003. Our supreme court decided that it was somehow unconstitutional, or some such crap.

And these are not "children". Teenagers who cold-bloodedly murder people are not "children". They're murderers.