Crimes of the Heart

It may be his age, but Sam is turning out to be a very perceptive and sensitive kid. At times it can make him seem kind of fragile and sad. You can tell his expanding mind is trying hard to wrap itself around some of life's ... peculiarities.

Last night on the way from the bathroom to bed, he asked me, "What happens to prisoners when they are let out of jail."

"Well, I'd like to believe they are able to go on and have lives like ours - families, jobs."

(Maybe I should've left it at that.)

"But for some people, it's harder. They may end up back in jail. And, depending on the crime, some prisoners aren't let out of jail."

"What crime?"

(See, should've left well enough alone.)

"If a crime is especially heinous or violent, a person may be sentenced to life in jail. Or, in some states, a person may be executed for a crime."

"If you kill someone?"

"Yes. But there are different types of murder. If someone broke into our house and was hurting our family and I shot that person, I would probably be punished differently than someone who just walked onto the street corner and started shooting people."

And without skipping a beat, Sam asked:

"Do you ever worry about Jake?"

I had to laugh. I mean we were talking about homicide and his thoughts jumped to Jake, who I admit has a temper and a streak of stubborn any mule would envy.

"Sam, Jake may always be the kind of person who is quick to anger, but I don't worry about him hurting anyone."

"He'll be like that old man in the movie (Nebbercracker in Monster House) that yells at the kids to stay off his lawn."

"Yep, maybe." And then I thought I'd better try to end on a positive note, so I added, "But whatever happens we'll deal with it together and whatever person he turns out to be, we'll love him."