The Axiom Of Realistic Expectations
Individuals Demonstrate Valid Behavior
By Having Realistic Expectations
For Themselves, Their Lives, And Others

Convicted of first-degree murder, Quantel Lotts, 23, is in prison for life without parole because when he was 14, he murdered his 17-year-old older stepbrother with a knife. When interviewed for "Teens Locked Up For Life Without A Second Chance," Lotts didn't mention the future he stole from his stepbrother, but rather focused on his own, contesting that his "life without parole" sentence is too harsh: "'They locked me up and threw away the keys.' [. . .] 'They took away all hope for the future.'" He does not seem to have a clue as to the devastating impact of his crime.

True, Lotts did come from an extremely dysfunctional home with negligent parents: "He grew up in a crack house with a mother who used and sold drugs," "he was sexually abused as a child," and "when child welfare officials took [him] from his mother at the age of 8, they noted that he 'smelled of urine and had badly decayed molars as well as numerous scars on his arms, legs and forehead.'" If we had our way, his parents would be in prison for child abuse.

Nevertheless, the fact remains that Lotts murdered his stepbrother: "At a friend's house in St. Francois County, Mo., [Lotts] and his stepbrother Michael Barton started fighting. [Lotts] chased Michael [. . .] with a bow and arrow before an adult stepped in. Not long after, while they snacked, one of the younger children noticed [Lotts] holding a knife and reported him to Michael. 'Let's take this outside,' Michael told [Lotts]. In the yard, their shoving match ended in Michael's death." ("Harsh Crimes, Hard Time: When Juveniles Are Sentenced To Life Without Parole") Moreover, Lotts "turned down an offer to plead to second-degree murder just before his trial began," which would have given him the possibility of parole.

The specifics of Lotts' case aside, the real issue here is whether we as a society should be lenient toward murderers who are juveniles, in particular juveniles who came from bad homes. And the logical answer is absolutely not. There are troubled teens who get into drugs and steal, but when you murder someone, you cross a line. Just ask Maggie Elvey, "a California activist whose husband, Ross, was beaten to death in 1993 by two boys, ages 15 and 16. 'My theory is when Ross can walk the face of the Earth again, that's when [the perpetrators] can get out,' [she] says."

Our laws are meant not only to protect our society, but also to provide justice for victims and their loved ones, and there is no justice when we start making up excuses on a case by case basis for murderers who have taken away the life of another human being. No matter what your age, if you choose to commit murder, you are choosing to pay the consequences. (Magna Sententia's Realistic Expectation One: "The ending always begins at the beginning.")

We feel badly that Lotts had terrible parents, and if we could have helped him when he was younger, we would have. However, as a society, we must keep our eye on the victims of violence, not the perpetrators. There must be justice.

Anna and Ellie Sherise
Creators of Magna Sententia
Authors of Magna Sententia: The Logical Cure for Our Society