"Punishment...isn't a solution."

2/ This kid had a history of threats of mass violence and his father either gave him an AR-15 as a present or allowed him to be given one. Wasn't clear to me in the reports precisely who gave the gift. But that's not really the point. This isn't the best solution. But since ...

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) September 6, 2024

I'm not a fan of imprisonment, I'm not a whole-hearted supporter of punishment as a way to deter, or even respond to, crime. That said, this analysis bothers me for other reasons.

4/ cases where the parents couldn't have known. And often these parents are themselves grieving a terrible loss. But those cases are fairly rare. Usually the parents ignore countless warning signs and didn't lockdown their fire arms. In quite a few cases they made firearms ...

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) September 6, 2024

Not because Josh is wrong here. We have decided gun sellers and manufacturers cannot be held responsible in the same way we hold retailers and car makers responsible for their deadly products. The primary difference there is product liability is aimed at keeping unsafe products off the market; and guns uniformly work as they were designed to, in mass shooting situations. I've yet to hear of one malfunctioning and endangering the life of the shooter.

6/ likely to face real criminal punishment if their minor children commit firearms massacres that will shape behavior. If we're barred from going after the central driver of these massacres we have no choice to go after next best thing.

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) September 6, 2024

I question (back to my misgivings) the wisdom of punishing a father who obviously gave (or allowed to be given) his 14 year old son an AR style rifle. That would be like buying your pre-teen an M-16 (if the military still uses those. I'm going back to Vietnam days here.). I mean, what, you expecting to send him into combat?  OTOH, how do you "correct" someone who does that?  I guess since you're ruining the kid's life (I have problems with trying a 14 year old as an adult, no matter how heinous the crime), you might as well ruin the father's, too?  But do "we have no choice but to go after the next best thing"?  And are the parents that "next best thing"?

This is a bit more in keeping with my own thoughts:

call me crazy, but i think it's very very bad to charge parents with involuntary manslaughter, even in tragedies like yesterday's shooting. (hear me out!)

— josie duffy rice (@jduffyrice) September 6, 2024

most legislators here in georgia. the fetishization - the IDOLATRY - of guns is everywhere. it's constant. "knowingly allowing" your kids to have guns is not only ordinary, it's encouraged. pic.twitter.com/NCWWpAemPp

— josie duffy rice (@jduffyrice) September 6, 2024

this is the second time this year we've seen this happen. and yes, it's easy/convenient/probably accurate to say that this father fucked up. but its also another example of punishment as a solution. this isn't a solution.

— josie duffy rice (@jduffyrice) September 6, 2024

should a father be able to gift his child a semiautomatic weapon? especially if that child has threatened to shoot up his school? i say no. but georgia says yes. and as long as we prosecute parents for the inevitable outcome of bad laws, it's like treating a tumor with a bandaid

— josie duffy rice (@jduffyrice) September 6, 2024

last thing: something @billybinion said a few months ago has really stuck with me -

— josie duffy rice (@jduffyrice) September 6, 2024

the law wants it both ways. this 14-year-old is an adult when they claim he has adult culpability and desreves adult punishment. but he's a child when they charge his dad with manslaughter because of his failures as a parent.

— josie duffy rice (@jduffyrice) September 6, 2024

There are legal disjuncts here, as Ms. Rice points out.  The kid is a minor, so the parents can be responsible for his actions.  The kid is an adult, so he can face felony murder charges as an adult.  Kinda preachin' it round and square, isn't it?  And for what?  Because we as a society can't get at the root of the problem, so we attack the parents and the child?  Kinda punchin' down, isn't it? 

Besides, as she said:  "punishment...isn't a solution."  We are certainly not going to punish the parents out of this problem no other country in the world has.  I guarantee that's not how they've never come to this.