@idoxedthefox,
You know I work with teens. Your comments show me you do realize your actions and realize how severe your actions could have been. I do applaud you for recognizing this. To simply state this, the others are wrong and you are right. You made a really bad decision that caused like you said much damage.
It could also have caused even more than you realize. One of these people maybe has low income, you destroyed their car and now it will be very difficult to get a replacement even with their insurance settlement. Maybe someone was driving to an important job interview and now that missed this opportunity. So many impacts this poor decision may have had on others that you do not even realize. I am not saying this so you feel bad, just to understand that this is not a small infraction.
I am glad for you and the others that no one was killed or hurt. It would be a really tough burden for you. I honestly think you being punished in this way believe it or not will lessen the guilty feeling you would have if you were not in juvenile detention. Take your punishment and learn for it. Imagine if the court system let people go for this? What would they learn? They may likely do this again and next time kill someone.
Look at this way, if someone put a gun to your head and threatened to kill you, but when they shot the gun it jammed so you were unharmed. Should this person not be punished?
I think you are a good person who made a very dumb and dangerous decision. I think you will do well in the future and am actually proud that you feel you deserve to be disciplined appropriately. The 19 days will be short in the scheme of things and likely be life changing for you. Good luck.