School was out for the day and they were free. They jumped in their separate cars and stepped on the gas. In their exuberance they might have been having a street race right outside of the school, at least according to the sheriff’s department and witnesses. A mother in a mini-van had just picked up her 14-year old band student. Her six-year old was in the car with them. They pulled away from a stop sign and were hit by the SUV.

Did the mother not see the on-coming car? Was she distracted? Were the kids speeding so fast she couldn’t gauge the distance? That we’ll never know as the three in the mini-van were killed. The mom and band student, both wearing seat belts, were dead at the scene. The six-year old died later that day.

The tragedy has forever altered the lives of numerous people. There is a family that must prepare funerals for three members. There are the classmates of both students who will mourn and grapple with the fragility of life.

Then there are the two boys who law enforcement officials believe were street racing. The boys admit to speeding, but deny racing. According to one, they were just speeding “a little,” about 15 miles over the speed limit. If they are found to have been racing, the legal penalties could be severe.

Even if the boys were not racing, even if it was an accident, how will the driver handle the deaths of these three people? He must face the fact that three people are dead because he was speeding. How will he handle this? Will he be tortured the rest of his life seeing two people dead, and one unconscious, in a destroyed mini-van?

If you read the comments posted at the end of the on-line news article, most believe the boys should suffer severe consequences ranging from many years in prison to life, or even death. A few have compassion for these young men and don’t believe an eye for an eye is warranted in this situation.

These are the events which force us to look at what we believe. Should teenagers, when acting immaturely and irresponsibly, be given the harshest possible punishment when there is such loss of life? Will the family who has lost three precious members be consoled by the harsh punishment of these young people? Will the teens be ostracized because they were responsible for another classmate’s death? Do they deserve everything coming to them?

We would like there to be a simple black and white answer to these questions. If you spent time with the families of all involved, you would find that there is no simple answer. No matter what happens to the young men, these teenage boys, a family will forever have lost three people they love.