Kid Crimes
Throw away the key: In response to "Juvenile Justice" (Tim Elfrink, November 26): Kids know what they are doing — if it is wrong or right, if it is bad or good. If you make a mistake and destroy someone else's life, you should pay for your actions. Otherwise, we are sending a message that it's OK to commit crimes if you are underage.
Indiana
Miami
----------
Bury the key: In the world today, it's hard to judge what is too much jail time for a teenager. In the case of Dewayne Pinacle's life sentence, can we guess how many lives were actually saved? Can you see yourself without your brother or sister? At age 15, we know right from wrong. The court system gave him his due. If we change this law, we will be saying it's OK to rob, rape, and kill; you are only 15, so we'll give you a slap on the wrist. Shame on these kids. Who thinks they have a right to a second chance at life when so many lives have been destroyed?
Joycelynn
Miami
----------
Eat the key: Let Dewayne Pinacle rot in jail. He took someone's peace of mind forever, and he will do it again if they let him loose. Just give him some time.
Will
Miami
----------
Toss the key into the ocean: I don't care how young you are or how troubled you are. If you rape anyone, not only should you be sentenced to life, but also you should be put to death. I believe Pinacle should be given the death penalty. This country gives too many breaks.
Erick
Miramar
----------
You get it by now: Sounds like this kid should be under the jail instead of in it. The second you use a gun and commit an adult crime, you are an adult, pure and simple. Our society has enough trash walking the streets. Let's keep this kid off of them.
Roy Cogburn
Miami
----------
Finally, some empathy: Young people committing adult crimes don't fully understand the consequences of their actions. I think a person deserves redemption if he shows remorse and markedly improved behavior while doing time. People should learn to forgive and not hold onto the past. Sentencing a young person to life in prison doesn't change what happened. The victim has moved on, graduating from college and raising a family. Why not give a troubled teenager a second chance at life?
Raison
Miami
----------
Stinky Food Fight
Whole Foods fights back: We at Whole Foods Market are surprised that "Wholly Crap!" (Natalie O'Neill, November 26) didn't include that the sewage backup was a one-day occurrence. The women's restroom and the cheese area were closed for complete cleaning as soon as the problem was discovered, and they were cleaned again the next day. The odor and water in front of the store were due to the store's grease trap backing up following a flood at high tide. It was professionally cleaned twice, and it was not left standing for a week, as mentioned in the article. We are happy to make our documentation available to any customers who have questions.
Libba Letton
Via the Internet
----------
Nix on that crap: Fortune 500 calls Whole Foods one of the top companies to work for. I don't think so. I am a customer who was shopping at the store before and during that first week in November, and I remember smelling sewage the minute I walked in. I think they should have shut the store down instead of covering it up. You can get hepatitis and parasites from sewage — I learned that in my high school food service class!
Marissa Nix
Miami
