Response for Leon Bonstein Let Teen-agers try adulthood, Paul Raeburn Essay

Response for Leon Bonstein Let Teen-agers try adulthood, Paul Raeburn Too immature for thye deatyh penalty - Essay Example Botstein argues that the social structure in high school is a hierarchical structure that is characterized by age, athletic prowess and attractiveness. The social structure in high school is different from any other community that students come across once they finish high school. The American high school education system is also regarded as obsolete. Botstein stipulates that when high school education system was being designed, students did not mature at the pace that they do today. Students used to mature at a slow pace. For example, Botstein stipulates that the age of menstruation has gone down approximately two years since the 21st century began. In this perspective, Botstein says that children should be allowed to begin school at an early age. The recommended age to begin elementary school today is 4 or 5 years. Botstein also stipulates that the junior high school stage or middle school should be scrapped off. This would allow a student to graduate from high school at age 16 and not 18 years. At this age, most students can be able handle real life situations without encountering significant difficulties. They are also adequately prepared to head off to college. Moreover, the article entitled â€Å"Too Young for Death Penalty† by Paul Raeburn describes a situation whereby Christopher Simons, 17 and Charles Benjamin, 15 led to the death of Ann Crook, 46, when they tied her with a tape and pushed her into a river. The two young adolescents confessed to committing the murder which earned them $6. Benjamin was sentenced to life imprisonment while Simmons was given a death penalty. The death penalty in this case attracted the attention of psychiatrists, psychologists, and other health groups. They argued that juveniles should not be executed since their brains are still in development. This means that juveniles should not be held entirely responsible for activities that they engage in (Raeburn). This is because the activities that adolescents