It was more than a little unsettling to read the account of various victims in the Gravois Park neighborhood who have been set upon by roving gangs of children and young teens. As the Post-Dispatch's Jeremy Kohler and Koran Addo report, police say the assailants have been as young as 9 years old.

The accompanying photo of Rob Ludwig, 37, who was beaten outside his home Sunday by up to 15 marauders, should shock the entire city out of its lethargy regarding the crime problem and the incorporation of children into violent gangs. Ludwig was beaten beyond recognition.

Like many readers, we were surprised by comments from Anne McCullough, a liaison with the Cherokee Street special business district, which has been adversely affected by the violence: "I think that a lot of people in the area are recognizing that it's not the parents. It's the racism and the institutions that aren't supporting the well-being of its citizens. I think everyone recognizes that it's something greater and coming from poor resources within the city of St. Louis."

Sure, racism and failing institutions do play a role in juvenile criminality, but let there be no ambiguity about the essential role that parents play in the upbringing and proper supervision of their own children. Ms. McCullough, it is the parents, too.

Poverty and hardship are no excuse for parents who fail to instill in their children a profound respect for human life and basic decency. These children are a reflection of parental failure and neglect. Institutions such as schools and police departments can only do so much. It's what happens in the home that set the tone.

Bye-bye bad Billiken

In the ongoing saga of Billiken the Menace, the new mascot is getting a makeover. He came, he saw, he scared, so, he's gone.

St. Louis University President Fred Pestello, with unflagging good humor, heard the complaints, saw the fear in kids' eyes, and hiked over to the zoo to see if he could get ideas for a less frightening mascot.

We're casting our vote for something resembling Kali. Nothing like an enormous polar bear to scare and endear at the same time. Whatever mascot emerges next, Pestello should take pains to ensure it resembles neither a nightmarish krazy klown nor the description one clever student offered of this Billiken: a "mutated frog."

Arguing the case for court consolidation

The Missouri Supreme Court's plan to fold municipal court operations in some of north St. Louis County's smallest communities into larger ones is a step forward to help reduce operating costs and curb the incentive for cities to use their courts to generate revenue.

This move, in conjunction with minimum standards for the courts issued on Sept. 20 to be overseen by two monitors, should help put brakes on the region's profit-driven justice system.

These moves are not enough to stop abuses the courts have been guilty of for years. As the Supreme Court continues to review the county's 80 courts, the agenda must include more consolidation, more transparency and more oversight.

Let Thanksgiving be Thanksgiving

Mall of America is to be commended for boldly going where most retailers fear to go by saying no to holiday shopping creep. The nation's largest mall is turning off the lights for Thanksgiving.

Families used to have fun planning to shop on the Friday after Thanksgiving, long the official kickoff to the holiday shopping season. Moving it to turkey day didn't have the same punch, and retailers got complaints about valuing profits over allowing employees to spend time with their families.

St. Louis-area retailers were considering their options Wednesday when the suburban Minneapolis mall announced it would close. Last year, Plaza Frontenac closed on the holiday but most other retailers and malls opened. Hopefully other area stores will decide to let employees enjoy their turkey and bask in the goodwill that's sure to follow.

Good prison time for a bad cop

U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. handed down a deservedly harsh sentence — 51 months in prison — to former Pine Lawn police lieutenant Steven Blakeney for blatant and repeated abuses of his authority as an officer sworn to uphold the law.

The judge labeled Blakeney a "disgrace" and said evidence of abuse against him was "overwhelming." Evidence at Blakeney's trial included assault, claims that he had tried to lure three drunken women into his unmarked patrol car, and search and seizure of property without a warrant.

He was, as prosecutors claimed, a "loose cannon." The full 51 months in prison will help Blakeney take stock of his life and find a new line of work, hopefully as far away from policing as possible.

Booking jail time via Backpage

Speaking of loose cannons, Backpage's chief executive had a new temporary address this week: a jail cell in Texas. Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the arrest of Carl Ferrer at Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport as the executive was returning from Amsterdam.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., has repeatedly demanded that Ferrer hand over documents related to a Senate investigation of Backpage's links to human slavery and child sex trafficking rings. The website has a special adult section that advertises thinly disguised prostitution activities as "massage" and "escort services." Prosecutors around the country have cited the website as the advertising venue where child sex traffickers have linked up with paying clients.

Ferrer, 55, faces charges of pimping in California and unspecified crimes in Texas.

REPRINTED FROM THE ST LOUIS POST DISPATCH