Quavale and Marcus

On a cold October morning a man starts his car and leaves it to warm up while he goes back in the house. A young man - 14 years old - allegedly jumps in the drivers seat and tries to drive away with the vehicle. The owner sees this and retrieves his lawfully owned gun.

And he uses it.

So ended the life of Quavale Finnell.

Not all of the details are clear about the incident. And although charges have yet to be filed, there are some serious questions about the appropriate use of force in the name of "self defense". Based on my limited understanding of law there are some states which provide for a lethal response in defense of property, but Ohio isn't one.

But the story has weight and ongoing relevance in this city. Some people want to take this opportunity to change the law, and they have used this case - along with that of a deli owner who also opened fire - to make a public call to take back the streets from criminals who have left us with a surging murder rate and an increasing sense of hopelessness in many neighborhoods.

Now any more in-depth consideration of this issue and what it represents cannot proceed without splitting into groups: Those who want to understand the root causes for crime, and the reasons why the Quavale Finnells of the world might find themselves thieves - you stand to the left. The rest of you who place a firmer emphasis in law enforcement and simply fighting back and jailing the perpetrators - you stand to the right.

Normally I would expect the argument over differing approaches to last only seconds before it morphs into an acrimonious debate about racism. Finnell was an African-American, and it's certainly fair to say that the overall treatment of young men in his position has been a sore spot in the Queen City since well before the 2001 riots. Many on the 'root causes' side of the debate have, in similar cases, pointed to an endemic institutional racism that drastically reduces the opportunity for young men in his demographic to steer clear of troublesome activity.

But surprisingly those issues haven't been central to this case.

And one of the key reasons why might be Marcus Fiesel. In September it was a story that shocked everyone: His foster parents left him tied up in a closet over a long weekend, and when they returned he was dead. So they burned the body. There’s no comparison to the horrifying depravity of what those parents did to this little boy. But when the background began to emerge in the media there were some details that we can now compare to the life of Quavale Finnell. An economically depressed family has a kid, they lack the capacity to parent the kid, and that child becomes a ward of the state, which also failed to provide structure and guidance. It was a disaster. Marcus Fiesel never made it to his teenage years. But who would be surprised, based on how his life had been so far, if he would have ended up stealing automobiles too?

Some people may reasonably point out differences between the cases and problems that are caused by race, racism, and media bias. But it might also be productive to come to agreement on common issues and values. How can we prevent these cases? Is it a radical statement to say that kids have a better chance of avoiding trouble if they are in families where they are wanted from before the moment they are conceived – and in which they will receive guidelines, structure and support from parents who were first capable of supporting themselves? It seems less relevant whether or not people are black or white, repressive conservatives or a weed-smoking liberals, (or even – sacrilege – gay or strait) if these people are parents who set boundaries, check homework, and make know where there kids are - those children will be much more likely to succeed and avoid serious problems.

Law enforcement and a proactive citizenry are a practical necessity in a city beset by crime. But over the long haul we need fewer criminals, and we have a compassionate obligation to do everything possible to produce capable grown-ups, children who are wanted from the start, and strong, involved parents.

Relevant posts at Cincinnati Black Blog, Axinar's, and the Enquirer Forum.