Hero or Accomplice? 14 year-old charged on total of 44 counts.

Many people were curious as to what happened to the bus driver driving the bus that day, well Lucille Boddy, did speak out in an exclusive interview on WAPT news. The bus driver reported that she had pulled over the bus on a separate occasion to tell the kids to stop picking at her. She also feels that the teen should not be tried as an adult and that she should just seek medical attention. I do disagree with the statement of the teen being unaware of what she was doing. Although it is obvious to all that she acted out of fear, in the video she repeatedly said that she doesn't mind going to jail. She expects to be punished, she knew what she was doing was wrong. The bus driver still drives buses in the area. She was never suspended nor fired. I am sure she will testify at the trial, but to my knowledge nothing else has been done to the bus driver.

Don’t Let Him “Chris Brown” You!

Everybody is familiar with the story of Chris Brown and Rihanna right? If not, let me inform you. Chris Brown is a famous singer who was reportedly dating the huge pop star Rihanna. I was reading the story about Chris Brown and Rihanna last night and discovered some very interesting news. If I understood the reading right, Rihanna and Chris Brown are back together after he put his hands on her in his range rover, Which brings me to the topic of domestic violence in relationships. Love can drive people to do some crazy things, but the problem is that some things are too much. Domestic violence can happen in anybody’s relationship, but it’s up to the ladies not to let it happen. Many people overlook abusive men like Chris Brown because domestic violence is so common, but lately, domestic violence has been on the rise and is a major issue. According to Clark County attorney staff, domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44. This is more than car accidents, rapes, and muggings combined.
It is estimated that three to four million women in the United States are beaten in their homes each year by their husbands or boyfriends. The Uniform Crime FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigations) reported that one woman is beaten every 15 seconds in the U.S., and one in every 4 women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. This clearly shows that every woman that’s in a relationship is at risk of becoming a victim of domestic violence. Don’t let these men out here pull a “Chris Brown” act off. Women are too smart and beautiful to let their lover abuse them. If he hits you physically, he’s not a true lover, and you need to think again about running back his way.

Hero or Accomplice? 14 year-old charged on total of 44 counts.

Bullying. Everyone has been bullied by another, whether it be physical or verbal, while others have been the bully. There have also been others on both sides of that fence. For the past year, a 14-year-old teen girl has been struggling with getting prepared for a trial for bringing a gun on the school bus. In the article by a WAPT reporter, "Athlete Disarms Girl on School Bus" it gives us a brief overview of this teen's story. If you would also view the video to get a more vivid image of what happened, Caught On Tape: Girl Pulls Gun On Bus.
As stated in the article and video, she is being charged with 22 counts of kidnapping and 22 counts of aggravated assault. Should she be tried as an adult? I strongly disagree that she should for the simple fact that she is fourteen and that she acted out of fear. In no way do I condone any kind of violence, but I do not believe she should be tried in this way. To my knowledge as well as witnesses on the bus and other school officials, she had reported to the bus drivers that several students had been picking on her, but the cries went ignored. The main bully in this case is the "hero" Kaleb, the football star that tackled the young woman. Kaleb was allegedly verbally abusing the young lady, while his younger sisters attributed to more physical bullying. Being that I am from Yazoo City, I have family members that attend that school and ride that same bus (the little girl jumping over the seat is a relative of mine). So should Mr. Kaleb be considered a true hero? Or an accessory to the crime?
My opinion is very biased on the entire case. I am eternally grateful that he was able to risk his life to save those of others, however, he was also the "mastermind" behind the entire plot. If he know he is guilty of such bullying accusations, he should not have accepted all the glory he had been given. He should have come clean. But he knew better. A senior football star bullying a fourteen year old girl, looks great on a college transcript eh? If you knew you were the main contributor to such a crime, would that not eat away at your conscience? It would definitely eat away at mine knowing that I put 22 people in danger, 23 if you include the young girl with the gun. Some kids have a low tolerance to being picked on and if complaints went ignored, something drastic was bound to happen one way or another.
As a criminal justice major, I am very intact with the law and fair punishment. I do believe she should receive a harsh punishment, yet not the same as an adult. If you listen closely in the video she says she's tired of being picked on and that she doesn't give a damn anymore. All she wanted was to be left alone. She went about it the right way at first and when that didn't work, she chose a more elusive scapegoat which eventually caused her her freedom.
If parents are not even letting their children testify on their behalf, not letting them make statements, or having anything to do with that day, should the young lady be charged with ALL 22 counts of aggravated assault and ALL 22 counts of kidnapping? If more parents truly gave a damn about the situation then they would have their children saying and doing things to make sure she is not released from jail because she is a threat to society. If it is true she was being bullied, in which I strongly believed she was, Kaleb and his sisters should deal with the guilt that they are the driving causes of the madness.
The young lady on trial happens to be a relative of mine. Kaleb happens to be a former playmate of mine. In no way am I taking sides because I was not on the bus, and the fact that I know both parties personally does not shape my opinion in any way. If I were just reading the article for the first time about two completely different teens, I can guarantee my opinion will be the same.
It is situations like these that drive kids to kill and cause harm to others. In this case, this is no regular hate crime. They weren't picking on her because she's gay or her parent's are gay. Hell her parent's aren't even involved in her life. They weren't picking on her because of where she is from. They weren't picking on her because she is black or because of her religion. They all lived lived along the same dirt road. They all went to the same school. They all wore uniforms to school. So what was the purpose in all of this? There isn't one. Just senseless mistakes and wrongdoing towards many.

During an interview with a mother that heard the chaos due to a call made to her by her 10-year-old daughter, the mother tells the interviewer that her children witnessed Kaleb and his sisters picking on the young girl on multiple occasions. It has been a year since this incident happened, and to date this woman is the only parent that allowed her children to stand up for the fearful young lady. The only mother that agreed to tell her kid's side of the story. In no way did she jeopardize her kid's lives. She simply took matters into her own hands to give statements for the simple fact that what she believes in and her morals in that right is right and wrong is wrong. You don't pick on someone because you never know how far you will push them. The 14-year-old could have committed suicide in front of all 22 of her "victims", scarring them for life. Leaving on their conscience that they could have prevented it in any kind of way, directly or indirectly.

So in conclusion, I do not feel the young lady should be charged as an adult, but she shall be punished severely. Weapons nor violence is ever the answer to anything. Kaleb is not to be considered an actual hero, but the guy that saved the day. There's a difference. A hero doesn't provoke situations and then take credit for saving the day. Kaleb, in my opinion, just happened to be there at the right place and time. He too acted out of fear. He knew the gun was for him and his sisters and he had no choice but to protect them. Fear makes people do crazy things. She should not be tried on all 22 counts of aggravated assault and kidnapping, in my opinion. She could be looking at a minimum of 36 years in prison if tried as an adult. Knowing the Mississippi justice system, she will be given the maximum sentence. The Mississippi system has a habit of giving unjust punishments, such as the the trial of the Scott Sister's back in 1993. Punished? Yes. As an adult? No.