Thursday afternoon, the City of Lisbon experienced some of the terror that has already struck places like Kentucky, Colorado and Oregon – and the State of Ohio got a reason to think about our children, their future and crime.

Friday, March 24, 2000

Thursday afternoon, the City of Lisbon experienced some of the terror that has already struck places like Kentucky, Colorado and Oregon – and the State of Ohio got a reason to think about our children, their future and crime.

A sixth-grader pulled a gun during his class – allegedly so he could join his mother in jail. He ordered his classmates and his teacher to "get down." Fortunately, a teacher who was summoned by another student was able to talk the youngster into putting away the gun.

Fortunately, this story ended with only one tragedy – a lost 12-year-old who thought this was the solution to his problems.

But this is a wake-up call for every parent in Ohio who really thinks that something like the Columbine High School tragedies could never have happened in their school.

Also this week, the Ohio Senate passed a bill toughening juvenile crime laws – and penalties.

Under the new law, children as young as 10 could face jail time and young offenders charged with serious crimes could face incarceration until they are 25.

And, it could be a lot harder to keep your case in the juvenile system if you commit an adult offense, too.

These laws are a good first step in getting the message across to children that their age is not a ticket for an automatic not guilty verdict when they hit the courts. Ohio might need a few more juvenile facilities, but maybe we might keep a few juvenile predators off the street.

And, just as important are the rehabilitation possibilities that this new law will create. Rather than putting troubled children back into bad environments or troubled homes, they will instead get some of the counseling and training they need to become functioning adults and not a prison statistic a few years down the road.

Lisbon’s brush with "what might have happened if" is a good reason for Ohioans to welcome the tougher juvenile justice laws. If we are tougher on juvenile offenders, perhaps we might not only stop a tragedy like Columbine; we might also save a child from a life of crime, drugs and hopelessness.

That is worth whatever the cost.