I'm not surprised Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of the teenage shooter who killed four Michigan high school classmates and wounded seven others two years ago, was found guilty yesterday of involuntary manslaughter. What I do find surprising is how long it has taken the courts to agree to hold a parent legally responsible for his or her kid’s behavior. Allow me to explain.
Weeks before the 1992 Los Angeles riots, I wrote an opinion piece entitled, "How to win the war. It's time the good guys take their country back." It was my reaction to the violence I was witnessing almost daily when I worked in Long Beach. Versions of my oped were published in the Press-Telegram and Daily Pilot. Suffice it to say, many of my friends were shocked to learn I supported the death penalty for a person, even a teenager, who willfully sets out to kill someone else. Despite the fact my daughter and I disagree on this issue, I still believe the death penalty is an appropriate sentence for anyone determined mentally competent by medical experts and a jury.
Near the end of my piece I wrote, "If parents know they are on the hook for their children's behavior, then they'll make sure their kids behave properly and responsibly." That statement also shocked my friends. They argued that it's virtually impossible to monitor a teenager's behavior 24/7. Yes, I would say. I have three children so I know how hard it is to be a parent; still, our job isn't just to keep a roof over their heads and put food on the table. Our responsibility as a parent is to teach our kids the difference between right and wrong. Clearly, a person planning to kill others is wrong, wrong, wrong.
I believe Jennifer Crumbley when she says she had no idea her son was capable of committing such a deliberate, heinous act. I also feel sorry for her. Nevertheless, the fact remains four young people were murdered and seven others injured that fateful day. If the guilty verdict in Crumbley's case makes an impression on other parents (which, in turn, helps save lives), then my hope is her sentence eventually will become a blessing. (Lastly, her husband will be going to trial soon on the same charge.)
I'll be anxious to hear your comments.
-DF