# Miami Juvenile Jail Official Told Dying Teen To 'Suck It Up' **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 27, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514 "2004-02-27T20:06:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514/21 "2004-02-28T05:27:59Z")
> [@fushj00mang](#): > > Where was he and why was he there? > > He was in a jail for attacking his neighbor. He was in JAIL for ATTACKING HIS NEIGHBOR. Oh, let me repeat that just once more, so there is NO question. **HE WAS IN JAIL FOR ATTACKING HIS NEIGHBOR.** What the hell difference does it make why he was jailed? Are you suggesting that a prisoner’s alleged crimes have ANY role in deciding whether he should receive urgent medical treatment? > [@fushj00mang](#): > > A ruptured appendix, from what I remember on my first-responders class can lead to death in 12-24 hours if surgery is no performed to clean out the lower bowels. What you have here is a punk kid, a criminal, who’s been in a jail for (if the timeline provided within the story is accurate) under 48 hours. Now, tell me, at what point did he suddenly feel ‘real bad?’ From what I remember from my first-responders class, an inflammed pre-rupture appendix is supposed to rate somewhere between “stabbed in the gut” painful and “stabbed in the gut with a rusty knife” painful. Wrong. Appendicits is “stab in the gut painful” only when pressure is directly applied to the abdomen. Otherwise it feels like a bad bellyache. > [@fushj00mang](#): > > If he was able to simply state that “My stomach (hits buzzer, sorry bub, wrong body part!) hurts real bad” then the staff physician ain’t going to look for appendicitis. Then the staff physician is incompetent. Patients USUALLY say “stomach” or “belly” rather than “lower abdomen”, any experienced practicing physician won’t be mislead by that phrasing. And ruling out appendicitis is mandatory any time a patient complains of belly pain. > [@fushj00mang](#): > > If he’d said something like “I’ve got a sharp pain below my stomach” then he might have gotten a bit more attention. He DID complain, stating repeatedly that he felt very sick. The negligence lies with the medical personnel who never even bothered to properly evaluate him to detemine if his complaints might be serious. > [@fushj00mang](#): > > As far as symptoms, puking, shitting, and sweating were all symptoms of MY last bout with influenza, so if this guy is doing it, I doubt that anyone’s gonna take a second look. A person who is dying of septic shock looks nothing like a person with a bad case of the flu. > [@fushj00mang](#): > > Finally, for those of you who are calling for the head of the nurse who “didn’t want to take that shit home to her kids,” lets ask what type of nurse was she? Was she a nurse-practicioner? Was she a registered nurse? Was she an LPN? No, the article doesn’t say. She may or may not have been qualified to do something. What difference does it make what type of nurse she was? All she had to do was say that in her professional opinion, the kid needed to be seen by a physician. She didn’t do that - quite the opposite, in fact. > [@fushj00mang](#): > > How well stocked was the clinic in this punk’s jail? Again, the article doesn’t say. Irrelevant, since what was required was simply a basic physical examination and then transport to the local emergency room when it became clear that acute appendicits was in the differential diagnosis. > [@fushj00mang](#): > > You don’t know that she could have done anything even if she was inclined to do so. What it does say is that she (the nurse) did come, did examine him (however briefly,) concluded that (in combination with the doctor’s previous assessment that it was a stomach virus) “Ain’t nothing wrong with his ass” and then proceeded to file the paperwork to get him transferred to a hospital. She obviously didn’t do even a half-assed physical examination, or she would have known the kid had an acute abdomen. And she’s supposed to be doing her own assesment, not simply relying on an earlier one performed by someone else. She screwed up, big time, and a kid died because of that mistake. > [@fushj00mang](#): > > Ladies and gentelmen, the folks in the jail did their job. No, they did not. That’s the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514/22 "2004-02-28T05:28:02Z")
Yeah, I second **kung fu lola**. WTF? Why even have a nurse in the first place, if they’re not going to take care of inmates? The kid attacking his neighbor and a medical staff _paid to take care of the people in the jail_ failing to do their job are completely unrelated, **fushj00mang**. If we’ve decided that people in jail get medical care, then they should darned well get it, at least to the very basic degree that this kid did not receive. ---
**Author:** ![fushj00mang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d26b3c/32.png) [@fushj00mang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fushj00mang)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514/23 "2004-02-28T05:33:17Z")
Lola, You’re the one who threw race into it. But yea, this punk in jail is worth less than the free population. In fact, in comparison with the free population, he IS worthless. He produces nothing, merely drains away from the resources that those of us free persons should be able to use unfettered. Whether or not he would have remained worthless after serving his sentence is moot now, he’ll never get his chance. Doesn’t change the fact that perhaps, just perhaps, if he’d behaved within established social norms (you know, the laws that you and I find rather easy to obey on a daily basis?) he might still be alive today. And yea, I did read Qadgop’s post. He didn’t address the fact that this punk began complaining on his first day there. If someone, otherwise seemingly healthy, starts complaining but shows no other outward sign of anything but gastrointestinal discomfort, what’s a doc going to do? No fever, check! Looks well, good color (not in the racial meaning), check! Hmmm…must be a stomach bug. We’ll see you later, check up on you. Hell, that’s what MY doctor would do. Unless I start bitching about pain in a very specific spot and being detailed about my symptoms, my doc’s going to give me a generic diagnosis to my generic problem. He wouldn’t think “Hmmm…sounds like acute appendicitis. I think we should set up some tests.” This punk’s doctor heard “My tummy aches. Waaah! Waaah!” And most likely thought “Hmmm…sounds like he ate something bad.” I mean, Christ in a cantaloupe! This snot was a criminal, and had medical staff on hand to treat him. I know of better human beings who never committed a crime and don’t have access to basic medical care. Tell me why I should give a shit about this kid? Better yet, tell me why I shouldn’t rally against him and prop up the medics at his facility as great people? ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514/24 "2004-02-28T05:44:54Z")
> [@fushj00mang](#): > > Maybe I’m the only one who’s seeing the oddity here, but a prisoner who was in for a sentence of unstated length for attacking his neighbor suddenly gets ‘ill’ on the FIRST day he’s there? So, you think perhaps he was faking it? That was one very talented kid. Maybe he should have been screen tested instead of put in jail. He certainly was able to “get into character”, what with all the actually dying and all. **fushj00mang** I reserve my ire for those who deserve it. You are a complete asshole. Please crawl back into your cave. ---
**Author:** ![Jaade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@Jaade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaade)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514/25 "2004-02-28T05:45:03Z")
> [@LVgeogeek](#): > > that is so tragic that those people in the jail just let him die because they “didn’t want to drag it home to thier kids” Obviously that nurse is not qualified to be a nurse when they refuse medical help to someone in need, regardles of the situation. ☹ My mother didn’t even use that excuse in the 80’s when she treated her first AIDS patient and they still didn’t know how it spread. She did her job, and took every precaution she could think of to keep herself, and us safe. Nurses are exposed every day to viruses and infections. That’s the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard. ---
**Author:** ![Nurobath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a88e57/32.png) [@Nurobath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nurobath)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514/26 "2004-02-28T05:48:32Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve never read a story that made me want go out and kick someone’s ass so much. You and me both. This is just sickening. I usually have very little sympathy for criminals but to let someone die like that…while watching him… damn. I’m glad to see that at least the gaurds were trying to do something. To **fushj00mang.** …You know, even death row inmates are given medical attention when needed and/or requested. This kid was in juvenile jail for assault so I’m sure he deserved every second of pain and humiliation right up until his death. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514/27 "2004-02-28T05:50:07Z")
Well, since the nurse didn’t prod his abdomen, didn’t actually touch him, she is criminally negligent. The kid was probably scum, but he didn’t deserve to die in such anguish. He SHOULDN’T have died at all, and wouldn’t have died if not for the callous disregard shown by the nurse and the supervisor. I’m sure that they’ve seen a lot of people faking illnesses, but when we lock people up, we have a responsibility to them, as they can no longer go out and seek medical attention other than that which is available through the system. Hell, I’m a layman, and even I know that a doctor or nurse has to touch the abdomen to try to find a tender spot to rule out appendicitis. This is a very basic thing, and a very simple thing to do. But this nurse couldn’t be bothered. I’d say she’s a murderer. ---
**Author:** ![litost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@litost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/litost)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514/28 "2004-02-28T05:52:15Z")
> [@fushj00mang](#): > > Lola, > > You’re the one who threw race into it. But yea, this punk in jail is worth less than the free population. In fact, in comparison with the free population, he IS worthless. He produces nothing, merely drains away from the resources that those of us free persons should be able to use unfettered. Whether or not he would have remained worthless after serving his sentence is moot now, he’ll never get his chance. Doesn’t change the fact that perhaps, just perhaps, if he’d behaved within established social norms (you know, the laws that you and I find rather easy to obey on a daily basis?) he might still be alive today. > > And yea, I did read Qadgop’s post. He didn’t address the fact that this punk began complaining on his first day there. If someone, otherwise seemingly healthy, starts complaining but shows no other outward sign of anything but gastrointestinal discomfort, what’s a doc going to do? No fever, check! Looks well, good color (not in the racial meaning), check! Hmmm…must be a stomach bug. We’ll see you later, check up on you. Hell, that’s what MY doctor would do. Unless I start bitching about pain in a very specific spot and being detailed about my symptoms, my doc’s going to give me a generic diagnosis to my generic problem. He wouldn’t think “Hmmm…sounds like acute appendicitis. I think we should set up some tests.” This punk’s doctor heard “My tummy aches. Waaah! Waaah!” And most likely thought “Hmmm…sounds like he ate something bad.” > > I mean, Christ in a cantaloupe! This snot was a criminal, and had medical staff on hand to treat him. I know of better human beings who never committed a crime and don’t have access to basic medical care. Tell me why I should give a shit about this kid? Better yet, tell me why I shouldn’t rally against him and prop up the medics at his facility as great people? You are blaming the kid of being in prison in the first place for his inhumane death caused by negligent nurses and doctors who didn’t do their fucking jobs. You are blaming a teenager (who probably dropped out of school) for not being able to explain clearly where the pain was to a doctor. Moreover, it’s all fucking speculation… you don’t even fucking know what exactly happened, what the kid said, how he cried… Fuck you! ---
**Author:** ![WernhamHogg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a587f6/32.png) [@WernhamHogg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WernhamHogg)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514/29 "2004-02-28T06:09:32Z")
fushj00mang is either a hateful and sadistic shit or just a pathetic attention-seeking shit. Either way he’s a shit. ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514/30 "2004-02-28T06:11:41Z")
> [@fushj00mang](#): > > I know of better human beings who never committed a crime and don’t have access to basic medical care. They may not be able to afford a primary care physician, but they would still be able to call an ambulance and go to the emergency room if something like this happened to them. This kid wasn’t. Unless you want every crime to come with a possible death sentence attached, criminals NEED basic medical care. ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514/31 "2004-02-28T06:13:38Z")
> [@fushj00mang](#): > > And yea, I did read Qadgop’s post. He didn’t address the fact that this punk began complaining on his first day there. If someone, otherwise seemingly healthy, starts complaining but shows no other outward sign of anything but gastrointestinal discomfort, what’s a doc going to do? No fever, check! Looks well, good color (not in the racial meaning), check! Hmmm…must be a stomach bug. We’ll see you later, check up on you. Hell, that’s what MY doctor would do. Better find a more competent doctor, then. “No fever, looks well, good color” is NOT an adequate exam. A simple abdominal palpation, which should be a part of ANY workup of gastrointestinal complaints, would have quickly revealed that the kid had a far more serious problem going on than just a “stomach bug”. > [@fushj00mang](#): > > Unless I start bitching about pain in a very specific spot and being detailed about my symptoms, my doc’s going to give me a generic diagnosis to my generic problem. He wouldn’t think “Hmmm…sounds like acute appendicitis. I think we should set up some tests.” This punk’s doctor heard “My tummy aches. Waaah! Waaah!” And most likely thought “Hmmm…sounds like he ate something bad.” As I said, if that’s how your doctor REALLY thinks, he’s incompetent to the point of being dangerous, and should lose his license to practice medicine. It’s the physician’s responsibility to elicit an adequate chief complaint and medical history from the patient; that’s his job. He’s not exonerated from doing it just because the patient may not be loquacious. He’s also obligated to perform an adequate physical examination on his patient. The medical personnel in this case did neither. And ANY competent doctor includes appendicits in the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain (especially in a younger person), and DOES rule it out before concuding the patient just has a viral gastroeneritis. A competent docotr also isn’t so wedded to his initial diagnosis that he won’t re-consider it if the patient’s symptoms change - which this kid’s did. The fault here lies with the medical personnel in the jail, not with the kid, no matter how you try to twist things. ---
**Author:** ![fushj00mang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d26b3c/32.png) [@fushj00mang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fushj00mang)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514/32 "2004-02-28T06:21:30Z")
Honey, Think about it for a second. Lets give this piece of excrement some human emotions (say, fear?) Ok, so punk’s afraid. Punk’s real scared. Punk was big and bad on the street when he cut the guy next door, but now he’s really in the pisser. You know what? Average person would be. Hell, most folks would be. It’s a helluva feeling when you suddenly know you’re gonna die someday (and for this kid, it just happened to be his day.) Ok, so punk’s afraid. What do most people do when afraid? They reach out for some type of comfort. Oftentimes, their fear and anxiety manifest themselves in physical symptoms (eg, some kid becomes so upset they piss/shit/vomit all over themselves. Hell, I saw a 25 year old officer do that last week!) So, suddenly he’s scared and feeling like crap. Needless to say, a doc wouldn’t put too much into that. Oh and it’s not a cave. It’s a field-expedient fighting position. Nurobath, > [@](#): > > To fushj00mang…You know, even death row inmates are given medical attention when needed and/or requested. This kid was in juvenile jail for assault so I’m sure he deserved every second of pain and humiliation right up until his death. Um…yeah? Here’s a concept for you. This kid wasn’t some sort of a golden boy. He was in this place for a reason. If he had simply been a little less proactive in his quest to stab someone, he’d _probably_ still be here with us (his family, rather, for whom I hold the only pity in this whole ordeal. This shit put them through hell, seems only fitting that he suffer in the end as well.) Litost, > [@](#): > > You are blaming the kid of being in prison in the first place for his inhumane death caused by negligent nurses and doctors who didn’t do their fucking jobs. > > You are blaming a teenager (who probably dropped out of school) for not being able to explain clearly where the pain was to a doctor. Moreover, it’s all fucking speculation… you don’t even fucking know what exactly happened, what the kid said, how he cried… > > Fuck you! Well, yea. Seems you’ve figured out what I’m trying to get at. It engaged in a criminal behavior, and was found guilty of said behavior before a court of law, and was placed by said court in a juvinile confinement facility for a (as yet unknown) term. If it had not engaged in it’s criminal activities, well, then it wouldn’t have been hauled in front of a court, sentenced, and jailed, and thus exposed to the (as it seems to be a concensus in here, with myself being the only dissenting voice) incompentent and lazy docs and nurses. The teenager put himself in this position. The teenager got what he had coming to him. As far as the “What the kid said, how he cried…” bit, go ahead, pull my heart strings (yes, I do have them. I’m not totally inhuman.) In this case, nothing’s gonna happen. I reserve my compassion for folks like our fellow Doper “Lady Kate” who caught the shit end of a stick from her SO. I feel badly for the kid who got outed in the thread that “Matt\_MCL” put up earlier this week. But these folks didn’t get themselves into the prediciments that they were in. Someone else did something to them. The shit in our article here got himself into this prediciment. Sorry, no sympathy here. What I really want to know is did this kid pray for forgiveness for what he did to get himself into this situation before he died, or did he die believing that he’d done no wrong? If someone can come up with a cite that shows he’d had some remorse for his crimes and expressed it as his time came, the I’ll apologize for my words. ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514/33 "2004-02-28T06:25:23Z")
> [@fushj00mang](#): > > Lola, > > You’re the one who threw race into it. But yea, this punk in jail is worth less than the free population. In fact, in comparison with the free population, he IS worthless. He produces nothing, merely drains away from the resources that those of us free persons should be able to use unfettered. Whether or not he would have remained worthless after serving his sentence is moot now, he’ll never get his chance. Doesn’t change the fact that perhaps, just perhaps, if he’d behaved within established social norms (you know, the laws that you and I find rather easy to obey on a daily basis?) he might still be alive today. Now THERE’s the callousness I’ve come to associate with you. I knew it would rear its repulsive head eventually. As for your assertion that the nurse had to need to palpate the inmate, **Quadgop** already gave his professional opinion that yes, the nurse SHOULD have palpated the patient to rule out appendicitis. Unless you are a doctor, I’d suggest you shut your pie-hole about when to poke the patient and when not to. Furthermore, even _if_ rolling around moaning about being in pain doesn’t justify being physically examined (I’ll concede there could be circumstances where it’s not reasonably expected), rolling around in your own filth and leaking brown fluid, STILL moaning about being in pain, 24 hours later, **definitely** warrants a physical examination, if not immediate transfer to a medical facility. If you honestly think otherwise, you’re as dumb as you are disingenuous. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514/34 "2004-02-28T06:27:10Z")
Here’s a question for you: Do all criminals deserve to die for being pieces of excriment? If so why the fuck don’t we shoot them all right off, huh? Break the law, get shot. Traffic violation, get shot. Misdemeanor, get shot. Felony, get shot. Gee, it sure would be simple that way, huh? That way paragons of virtue like you and I wouldn’t have to worry about these piece-of-shit motherfuckers who don’t have any respect for the law, huh? Sounds good. ---
**Author:** ![CherryBomb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@CherryBomb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CherryBomb)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514/35 "2004-02-28T06:27:38Z")
My ex had appendicitis, and by the time the surgeon got the appendix out he said that it was ready to burst. The time between initial complaint and surgery was less than 12 hours. He was in immense pain, and I’d hate to think what any human would go through if they were not treated for this. Regardless of his reason for being sent to jail, he did not deserve to die so horrible a death. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514/36 "2004-02-28T06:31:34Z")
**fushj00mang** , if what you’ve posted is your idea of competent medical care, one can only conclude that your doctor is a five-year-old who recently got a plastic doctor kit for his birthday. > [@](#): > > If someone, otherwise seemingly healthy, starts complaining but shows no other outward sign of anything but gastrointestinal discomfort, what’s a doc going to do? No fever, check! Looks well, good color (not in the racial meaning), check! Hmmm…must be a stomach bug. This is an inadequate medical examination. Also, regarding the inadequacy of the medical exam, read this until it sinks in. It runs contrary to what should have happened: > [@](#): > > Guards say they never saw her touch his abdomen for signs of appendicitis. > > * * * > > … guards said she again failed to examine him. > > * * * > > “I told him he had to suck it up and walk around, to wait another day or so.” > > * * * > > She took his temperature and then said “Ain’t nothing wrong with his ass. Let his ass go back in the room,” according to Mixon. Then she left. Only after another nurse spoke to a supervisor was a transfer to a hospital finally arranged. Then the same person who organized the transfer went on break. Didn’t go back to check on him, didn’t go examine him herself. Went on break. And this is the kid’s fault because … ? ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514/37 "2004-02-28T06:31:43Z")
“had **no** need to palpate the inmate”. Dammit, I should really pay closer attention when proofreading. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514/38 "2004-02-28T06:35:08Z")
> [@iampunha](#): > > And this is the kid’s fault because … ? Haven’t you been paying attention? It’s his fault because he commited a crime. Don’t you know that once you commit a crime and go to prison, you forfeit all right to be treated like a human being? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514/39 "2004-02-28T06:38:56Z")
> [@Triss](#): > > (_in re: **fushjoomang** _) > You are TOO SMART for us, dude! We’re not worthy! I’m not so sure I’d put it that way, but I like to think we don’t deserve him. What a piece of work. ---
**Author:** ![fushj00mang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d26b3c/32.png) [@fushj00mang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fushj00mang)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514/40 "2004-02-28T06:40:23Z")
skutir, Actually, I’m none of the five things you’ve named. I am neither hateful (though I’ve had folks trying to kill me for the past week,) nor sadistic (I do not torture puppies, people, or vegitation. Nor do I find said acts amusing. I do find the spongmonkies amusing, though.) I am not pathetic (neither physically, nor emotionally, nor mentally, nor spiritually. I am rather robust physically and mentally, and at or just slightly below average in the god and feelings departments) nor am I attention seeking (I don’t troll. With as many dissenting opinions as I’ve put forth in my short tenure here, if I were trolling then Admin/Mods that be would have banned me by now. I simply voice an unpopular opinion in a not-so-diplomatic way.) And finally, I’m simply not a shit. So, oh great and flaming one, what’s your take on this kid? Elfbabe, > [@](#): > > Unless you want every crime to come with a possible death sentence attached, criminals NEED basic medical care. Not in the least. While I support the death penalty, if it isn’t sentenced then he shouldn’t have been executed. Oh wait…he wasn’t. While you may make the arguement that the individuals were criminally neglegent, they didn’t kill him. His own body killed him. Sorry. artemis, I concede that you know more than I do about medical examination (perhaps you’re a physician or nurse?) But, from my own experience (this includes everything from when I was a kid in elementary school to my annual physical at Wilford Hall Medical Center) this kid got the same basic once-over that a lot of folks here in the care of government medicos get. Yea, mine is a bit more comprehensive than what he got, but hell, he’s getting it for free. You get what you pay for, right? All sarcasm aside, why should anyone care about anyone who engages in criminal behavior, such as assaulting a neighbor with a piece of sharp aluminum? These individuals, by their own actions, show that they do not believe in the rule of just laws, and want to live outside of them. Why should we, the law-abiding community, have any compassion for those who have proven themselves (or been proven by a judge or jury of their peers) not to share this same compassion? He might have been redeemed, but again, that’s moot. Punk-assed kid was a criminal, punk-ass kid died. Society is able to reinvest money wasted on punk-ass kid’s incarceration into new roads, schools, hospitals. The way I see it, it’s still a loss to society, because the cost of that kid’s time can’t ever be recouped. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miami-juvenile-jail-official-told-dying-teen-to-suck-it-up/231514.md?page=3)