Two boys ages 13 and 11 pull a fire alarm at school and, as the children and teachers are going out, these two boys open fire with high-powered rifles, killing five and wounding many more. A middle-school student brings a razor blade to school and slashes three teachers. Many such horror stories are happening. Everyone asks, "Why?"

The WHY is found in the law that says you cannot punish these savage law-breakers, because they are children. You had better punish them or soon the "children" will be killing all of us; for they know there is no punishment.

Our scripture says, "Chasten thy son while there is hope," for soon there will be no hope, for he will be set to do evil.

There are two evils concerning the training of children; harshness and False tenderness.. A good balance is very necessary. Let the child see that we are firmly determined and will not shirk our duty. Isn't it far better that the child should cry now, than that parents should afterward cry from the bitterness of neglected discipline? Very little rod would be needed if we guided children and directed them by a decisive word, a frown, or a look. One word, frown, or look should be sufficient, but nowadays it is over and over, "Now I mean that, I really mean it."

The secret is "while there is hope." If decisiveness is delayed it becomes hopeless, because he becomes "a man of great wrath and shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again" (v.20). If a child is allowed his own way then when he is a man and must be helped out of trouble, he goes right back to it. His character is set! Mothers and Dads, you are setting their characters now. What will it be? "Yes sir" and "Yes mam" or "yeah." Most parents would rather not face up to it. How about you?

Children Who Kill come from the "yeah" generation. They are born with murder in their hearts like the rest of us. The difference is they are not chastened, either by parents or those who make these awful laws.