Dear Governor Bush:

As the father of an 11-year old son, I have been very shaken by this
current case of Alex and Derek King and the murder of Terry King. Sadly,
we live in a world where crimes can even be committed by the very young.

My reason for writing to you is simply to encourage you to take an active
interest in this story and to do what is within your power to insure that
these two boys are not simply punished, but are treated in such a way that
they are given a fair chance to be rehabilitated. Prayerfully, we are not
a society that gives up on children. These two boys were failed over and
over by not only their parents, but also by the system that let them fall
through the cracks until they were pushed to commit this heinous act of
violence.

Obviously, we do not justify what they did, however, it is clear that the
two boys were manipulated, to whatever extent, by an opportunistic child
molester. Alex King could not have been in the proper frame of mind to
know exactly what the ramifications of his actions would be, as he was
dealing with the sexual abuse by this offender, the rejection of his
mother, and the failed relationship he had with Terry King. Again, this
is not to justify what the boys did, however, it is a valid and relevant
issue that these boys were emotionally traumatized by their circumstances
and at 11 and 12 years old, were not in the proper frame of mind to adequately
make rational life altering decisions.

Quite simply, I am asking that these boys be given a chance at
rehabilitation. I'm asking that their lives not be taken away at 13 and
14 years of age. At some point somebody needs to step in and let them
know that not everybody has given up on them and that somebody will make
a difference for them and give them a chance to become productive members
of society.

If this does not occur for them, quite assuredly, they will come out of
this experience in however many years, more damaged than when they
entered. We will be releasing to society two individuals who will, again,
not be prepared to make rational life decisions and they may end up
committing some violent act again.

In closing, I thank you for your time, as I know it is most valuable.
Your attention is most appreciated.

Sincerely,

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