Brooke Atkins Mrs. Simon English 2 6 March 2023 The 57 Bus Essay Have you ever made a split-second decision that had unintended consequences? Slater’s credibility as a journalist and author is clear in the depth of research she undertook to write the book. The 57 Bus is a true story written by Dashka Slater, which narrates a tragic incident that occurred in Oakland, California. The book describes an incident in which Richard, a sixteen-year-old African American boy, sets fire to the skirt of a white, Sasha, an eighteen nonbinary teenager, who was sleeping on the bus. The incident left Sasha with severe burns and caused outrage and concern about the safety of the Oakland community. The case raised questions about whether Richard should be charged as an adult or juvenile. But throughout the story, it shows how Richard …show more content…
In this part of the book, Karl is reading a statement about how they have fully forgiven Richard and how they got his letters. And wishing they could have got them earlier before Debbie made a statement earlier in the book. Slaters states, “His actions appear to have been impulsive, immature, and unpremeditated.”(Slater 286). This quote shows Slater's credibility in the use of the occasion to show how Richard is immature at his age. Since Richard was only sixteen years when the incident occurred. At this age, adolescents are still developing their cognitive and emotional skills, and charging them as adults may not be appropriate. The justice system should take into account their age and consider the possibility of rehabilitation, rather than punitive measures. Furthermore, Richard had no previous incidents this severe, and it would be unfair to judge him based on one mistake he made as a teenager. Slater further informs us about how when you are young your brain is still developing and during that time your body is