Toddler wouldn't stop crying, so total stranger slaps her around

[pepperbear]

Stranger Slapped Crying Child, Police Say

http://news.aol.com/article/stranger-slapped-screaming-child-in/653392?icid=main|main|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Fstranger-slapped-screaming-child-in%2F653392

- Police say a 61-year-old man annoyed with a crying 2-year-old girl at a suburban Atlanta Walmart slapped the child several times after warning the toddler's mother to keep her quiet.

A police report says after the stranger hit the girl at least four times, he said: "See, I told you I would shut her up."


sorry, but you don't mess with someone's kid.

[hobbit709]

1. And the mother let him live?

[Tangerine LaBamba]

4. My question, too -

I'd have ripped his fucking head off.

You do NOT touch a child in anger, yours or anyone else's.

This old fucker hit a woman's kid in a store?

Oh, the lawsuits, the lawsuits. I hope that mother sues the living fuck out of this miserable SOB.

That little girl could end up with a very nice college fund, which would be suitable, I believe..............................

[hobbit709]

9. I know a few mothers that would not only have decked him.

But applied several hard kicks to his cojones while he was lying on the floor.
At the least. One friend of mine probably would have shot him on the spot.

[PDJane]

13. Truthfully, the only person who has ever tried that.......

was my happily departed father.

He made a move, I made a move, he changed his mind. I have a temper, rarely exercised.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

14. Oh, absolutely!

I'd have taken him apart with my bare hands.

Hell, the kid's not even mine and I want to hurt that man right now!

[madmax]

23. Some of these old geezers

think they can do anything they damn well please. I respect age, but sometimes they get on my last nerve!

I hope she sues his ass. That's the only language some people understand.

[gopiscrap]

55. Wal Mart should be sued too for letting

fuckers like that shop there..they breed this kind of culture!

[madmax]

56. You're right

go for the deep pockets. Although I doubt there is any precedent for such a case. Walmart won't be held accountable for his actions.

And old gramps probably doesn't have much money anyway. On second thought, maybe he does.

[madmom]

110. And how would this work? Make everyone provide a mental evaluation at the door?

[madmax]

118. I agree with you

There is no way that Walmart can be held accountable. Guess my post wasn't worded clearly. I do that sometimes ;)

[Maru Kitteh]

66. Old men in particular become more spoiled and accustomed to being treated as kings of the castle

They grew up in a time when the man of the house was automatically given the best cut of meat, the seat at the head of the table, the first serving of ice cream, the most comfortable chair, and shown complete deference in most all decisions and activities.

[raccoon]

92. And they got away with all kinds of shit non-white and non-male people would never have

gotten away with.

To some extent, they still do (mainly, the ones with mucho bucks) but not as much as they used to.

[create.peace]

181. he's only 61, a boomer, not like his father!nt

[ecstatic]

121. So true. I think some people do or say really offensive things

thinking the "age" card will get them off the hook!

[customerserviceguy]

15. Chances are

anybody who would have decked the guy, would have the sense to have used effective discipline on their kid in the first place. And it wouldn't have happened.

[lunatica]

18. there's always an apologist it seems

Let me spell it out for you. The older man violated several laws and did something that no one, not even you should find acceptable. If you think the mother is a shit, that's OK. Some mothers are shits. Telling her her kid needs to be taken care of is just stopping short of crossing the line. Hitting a child, any child to shut them up because they're crying and irritating you is wrong. Wrong. Not maybe half wrong, or even explainable because a tiny child drove him to it. Wrong. Period.

[customerserviceguy]

26. Ok, he was wrong

but my point was, if this woman would not take the time and effort to properly raise her kid, she's sure as hell not going to deck a full grown man for what he did.

Frankly, I'm surprised we even heard about this. Someone that unable to handle basic responsibility is someone I'd guess wouldn't even report something like this.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

29. Nice screen name -

I am going 'way out on a limb here, and assume you're a man with no children.

If you think kids don't act erratically and are completely unpredictable, you'd make an inane comment such as the one above. To be omniscient and to have raised such a perfect child that nothing the kid does is ever a surprise or is ever embarrassing or is nothing a proper mother can't handle is the kind of imaginary state achieved only by childless males.

Did you know that a little kid can spike a fever of outlandish proportions in nothing flat? How do you know the child wasn't sick? Or getting sick?

How do you know that something hadn't happened to upset that little girl?

You don't.

And your perspective on this horrid incident - blame the mother - is reminiscent of the people who thought that rape victims who might have been dressed in a way they found "inappropriate" were "asking for it."

I hope you have a whole bunch of happy, healthy children, and I hope they're strong and feisty enough to raise hell and kick that smugness out of you.......................................

[customerserviceguy]

46. You are out on a limb

I had three kids with my ex. And you can believe that I didn't inflict them on airplane travelers, or anybody with more taste than a diner of a McDonald's or Burger King.

I sure wouldn't tolerate lousy behavior from my kids while I had the chance to be their father, but perhaps when my psycho ex-wife had their sole custody and control. I got to read the Children's Protective Services files on her when I went for custody of the youngest two of them when she went to marry a convicted child rapist.

Yeah, you're way out on a limb here. Your defense of this mother suggests that you might just be like her. Sure, bring the rape thing into it, like control of your kid is the equivalent of dealing with a rapist.

And no more kids for me, about twenty-five years ago, I had the snip-snip, and I would recommend it to many people who don't want to go through hell raising spawn that will only complicate their lives and frustrate the people around them. I regret having any in the first place.

[Maru Kitteh]

68. You regret your kids, call them "spawn" and "complicatons"- I hope they don't have to bear your name

You don't deserve them.

You don't deserve anyone.

[customerserviceguy]

81. It was a mistake having them, I'll acknowledge

And the childless woman I found and now live with and I are happy, and deserve each other. Well, we're happy until somebody's prattling little darling in the next booth disturbs our meal.

[IdaBriggs]

76. To review your (presented) parenting credentials:

- You chose poorly when picking a mate.

- You were unable to prove to a court of law that you were better able to care for two children than a woman marrying a convicted child rapist.

- You regret having your children because they "complicate" and "frustrate" the lives of the people around them.

= Your regret implies you do not currently have a loving/supportive relationship with your children; since you have three, at some point, one must assume that THREE PEOPLE who *should* admire/love/respect you, for good and valid reasons, DON'T.

You do not appear to be someone whose opinion on "good parenting" should be listened to, other than as an example of what NOT to do.

For example, if you find the behavior of the attacker vaguely defensible, one can quickly assume that people who are GOOD PARENTS would obviously find it actionable.

:)

[customerserviceguy]

83. Your review has its merits

Point number one, especially. I have spent the rest of my life regretting picking that woman to have children with.

Point number two, you're dead wrong. I did go to court to get my kids, but my ex's twin sister and their mother made up a bogus story about my physically abusing my daughter. With the entire court system revolving around the concept of "Mommy good, Daddy bad" my daughter (who I got custody of only a month before) was taken from me, and sent to live with her aunt in Seattle, where she went to an inner city school, and really got to know what abuse was.

Yeah, that's right, my ex-SIL and ex-MIL didn't do squat when they knew my ex was dating "Ed the Pervert", but when I got involved, it was time for them to spring into action. By the time their lies were exposed, it was a year down the line. I lost a job, ended up filing bankruptcy the next year, and finally represented myself in court for a week's worth of trial. By this time, my ex-MIL had her own attorney, and was trying to get custody of my son, who I had been allowed to raise for the prior year.

In order to change custody after the divorce decree under WA law, you have to prove that the kids are in a dangerous situation, and that the previously non-custodial parent can make a better place for the child. I had that opportunity with my son, he went from failing sixth grade at his mother's, to straight-A's at my place. He had a juvenile police record at his mother's, he was a friend of the local police chief in my town.

Unfortunately, because I didn't have custody of my daughter, I couldn't meet the court's burden of proof. So, she was transitioned back to her mother, I did get a court order that "Ed the Pervert" was not allowed to have any contact with my kids until they were eighteen. When my daughter turned that magical age, my ex married "Ed the Pervert".

My daughter still blames me for the chain of events that happened fifteen years ago. All she knows is that she was still sleeping in her mother's bed every night at the age of eleven, when she suddenly got kicked out when "Ed the Pervert" showed up, she was subjected to all kinds of manipulation by my ex, her aunt, and her grandmother to try to show me in the worst possible light, and at the end of it, she got loads of verbal abuse in the Seattle school system.

My son, on the other hand, married a very nice woman, treats her with respect, and is happy. So, before you jump to conclusions about the guy across the street saying, "You kids get off my lawn," you might want to hear his story first.

[cliffordu]

108. It'a a shame you never grew into a full manhood.

Your views on women and children are very juvenile, very immature.

[customerserviceguy]

126. What do you know about my views on women?

All I described was three women from a family that I NEVER should have gotten involved with. After them, every other woman in the world looks like a queen.

[H2O Man]

155. Beyond "juvenile" ......

they are bitter and diseased.

[Gemini Cat]

111. Dude, I feel sorry for your children.

Spawn indeed.

[Amaya]

112. you sound like a real catch!

:puke:

[customerserviceguy]

127. When you were fishing, I wasn't in your pond

But my lady and I are quite happy with each other, thank you. She joins me in asking for a childless part of a restaurant when we go out. It's really not that much different from asking for the nonsmoking part of a restaurant ten or twenty years ago.

[Shell Beau]

175. You're a doll.

:puke:

[JVS]

113. Listen up life obstacles! From now on, nothing's gonna stand in Homer Simpson's way!

[SmileyRose]

49. Are you kidding me?

A 2 yr old having a fit mean's mom is irresponsible??

A 2 yr old????

Hello ????

Is this mic on ????

[customerserviceguy]

85. It means one of two things

Either the "parent" has not done a sufficient job of managing the child's behavior prior to that point, or the "parent" refuses to do the obvious thing of finding a sitter to avoid taking the uncontrolled (or uncontrollable) child into a public space.

Back when I was wine touring in the Pacific Northwest in the late 1980's, we'd see these yuppie types coming in with the gigunda strollers. What was interesting was when the kid got a bit older, and demanded a drink of whatever his parents were sampling (which, of course, was illegal). I'd enjoy giving the yuppie accessorizers the hairy eyeball while iBaby 2.0 went completely out of control.

[Maine-ah]

91. so, because her kid (a 2 year old) is crying in a store,

she's not properly raising her kid? Damn, my 2 year old has cried in the store before just because I told her she couldn't have something. Normal reaction for a 2 year old.

My response to you is :wtf: and do you have kids?

[Shell Beau]

212. His situation with his children went so well he decided to give

all moms advice on what to do! :rofl:

Not funny really. I feel sorry for them.

[cliffordu]

107. Kind of an ignoramus, ain'tcha???

[Shell Beau]

174. Um, 2 year olds cry. Doesn't have anything to do with how they are

properly raised. You sound like an idiot. A big fat idiot.

[create.peace]

27. what does effective discipline have to do with a crying child!

who knows why the child was crying? could have been pain, or extreme fatigue or hunger. this has at face value nothing to do with the lack of discipline.

[customerserviceguy]

47. Then, you get the kid out of the situation

Unless you are one of those selfish assholes who feel it is your right to inflict your kid on everyone around you, so that they can "feel your pain".

No fucking thanks.

[PSzymeczek]

53. My daughter was about 6 or 7

and whiny at the supermarket because I wouldn't get something she wanted but didn't need. Maybe I slightly raised my voice, maybe I let slip a four-letter word. I was tired, I had worked all night. Some "upright citizen" made a comment to me about so-called verbal abuse. I told said "upright citizen" to mind her own business, thank you very much. My daughter is now 30 and a heck of a decent human being.

[customerserviceguy]

86. Good for you

The crap that passes for child raising these days means that you're going to have a lot of frustrated bystanders like this guy. What he did was wrong, but I do understand it at some level.

[snort]

59. I'm done.

To the ignore list you go.

[grace0418]

61. Look, I'm the first person to admit that it drives me nuts when parents continue shopping

while their child has a temper tantrum. But you don't have any way of knowing if that was what was going on in this case. The child could've been crying for 30 seconds for all you know. It's beyond a stretch to assume the mother is a bad mother just because her child was crying.

The fact of the matter is this man smacked a 2 year old baby he'd never met before in public. How much of an asshole do you have to be to do something like that? Even if the mom is the worst mother in the world, why take out your frustration on a child? That's just beyond cruel.

What exactly is your point in stirring the pot?

[customerserviceguy]

125. Glad you asked that question

Remember a few weeks ago, when Professor Gates got arrested for trying to get into his own home?

We had discussions of how good of an idea that it was to bootlick the cops who show up, but we also had African-American people describing the antagonism that cops have had for them for as long as anybody can remember. An event that neither you or I participated in, or even witnessed, became a useful topic of discussion for people who consider themselves oppressed by the actions of others.

Now, I don't expect to compare the sufferings of black Americans at the hands of the cops to what the childfree deal with every day when they just try to shop, dine, or simply relax in peace, but this incident is an opportunity for those out there with kids to maybe get some awareness of how their lack of parenting skills makes the rest of us feel.

If you read the points I'm making, and acknowledge that every once in awhile, your little darling is less than a total delight for everyone within earshot, thanks. If you don't recognize what I'm saying, then maybe you're as clueless as the white people who think that just because we elected Barack Obama as President, that racism is officially over with.

[grace0418]

142. I'm not sure what you expect me to acknowledge because I am one of the child-free

adults you've decided to defend. Unfortunately I don't think this thread is the place to do that. You have to make far too many assumptions that may or may not be true, you don't know anything about that woman or her parenting skills. The only facts of the story are that a man struck a little girl in a store because she was crying. Which makes him an asshole, end of story. If the mother was soooo horrible and he was "justified" in his behavior then he should've slapped the mom, not the kid (not that I'm condoning any kind of assault).

I am totally on board with the notion that there are many parents out there who don't seem to realize that their child is not the center of everyone's universe, just theirs. Unfortunately there is no licensing procedure to become a parent. But I'm not willing to choose this "opportunity" to make people aware that their child being assaulted by a stranger is a direct result of their bad parenting. It's not going to change any minds, if that's what you're looking to do.

I'm just going to leave the comparison of the "plight" of child-free people to those who deal with racism alone. I just don't even know where to start with that.

[customerserviceguy]

158. I've already said he was wrong

and if he had not been arrested, there would not have been a story for us to talk about. I guess the same thing would apply if Professor Gates had not been arrested. There were a lot of people a few weeks ago who said, "Gates mouthed off to a cop, end of story."

Well, it's sometimes the start of a story. Maybe President Obama will say something about one or the other parties in this case, and they can all get together at the White House for a sippy-cup summit.

[grace0418]

172. The two incidents have nothing to do with one another.

You seem to be the only one making a connection.

[customerserviceguy]

192. Granted, nobody else considers this incident

to be a "teachable moment". But the President hasn't said anything about it yet. However, I think he learned his lesson last time, and is just going to stay out of matters that do not normally concern the executive branch.

I do hold some hope that there are those who read this, who do not jump to a knee-jerk defense of their inability to control their kids, and will be more thoughtful next time the little darling starts raising a ruckus.

[yellowcanine]

194. That is just ignorant. No other word for it. Children cry. It is not always predictible.

Anyone with a young child could never take them anywhere according to your analysis. It is obviously not useful to make assumptions about what would have given a 61 year old man cause to smack a 2 year old. It is not rational behavior so what makes you think that there is anything the mother could have done or not done to keep the man from behaving irrationally?

[marshall]

32. And in states with concealed handgun laws--watch out!

I would have protected my child during the blows, but I would have left it to the authorities to administer society's consequences.

[Liberal_in_LA]

40. Her first duty was to get her child away from him...not start beating the guy

[Maru Kitteh]

69. There is no place for fault or responsibility on the victim or her mother. Period.

The sole FAULT and the SOLE RESPONSIBILITY rest with the perpetrator of the assault.


I do not get why this is hard for people to understand.

[Iris]

82. seriously. Blaming mothers has gone for cliche to a matter of course.

jeez.

[Liberal_in_LA]

119. agreed.

[sharesunited]

2. That child must've been truly surprised.

[Maru Kitteh]

70. Many people who suffer violent criminal assault are surprised.

[KingFlorez]

3. He's got to be crazy hitting someone else's child

If it was my child, he would have been flat on the floor, knocked out cold.

[AspenRose]

95. I probably would have been going to jail

For knocking his block off.

[virgogal]

5. Assault,pure and simple. He must be nuts.

[TxRider]

120. Yes nuts and violent to boot.

Better keep an eye on this guy.

[PDJane]

6. No matter how much I hate screaming children,

Hitting a child for crying is counter productive.

I do have several tactics that work, none of them involve touching the child, let alone slapping, punching, or kicking.

[opihimoimoi]

7. Persistent crying drives many up the wall..Mothers fault, shoulda taken the kid outta the store.

Now the kid will have a mental scar for the rest of life...prolly need extensive rehab

coulda been avoided by removing child to sound proof room or exterior of store...

[Xipe Totec]

19. ?!... n/t

[Lyric]

21. Snotty, judgemental people drive ME up the wall.

Is it their own fault if I decide to commit assault and battery on them?

:eyes:

[lunatica]

22. Do you have kids?

That sounds like someone who doesn't have children would say. If you don't have kids then how would you react if someone, say, hit your mother, or your sibling because they were irritated by some action? If you have a pet, would you react if a stranger kicked it because it was whining?

[opihimoimoi]

44. Raised 4 kids...23 to 45...all of sound mind and good employ..

If they were upsetting others in sim sits...we would take the kid(s) outside.....Tantrums in public is to be avoided...

[lunatica]

97. And what does that have to do with a stranger slapping your kids?

If my kids had tantrums I would also take them outside. That has nothing to do with this thread.

[opihimoimoi]

177. I was posting an answer...to your question...and I agree...

The man is guilty of losing his cool...

What is missing is why she let her kid cry to the level of driving him, and perhaps others, to the breaking point....was she that inconsiderate? The fact remains....her kid cried in such a manner it drove a stranger over the edge...

In my book...it was both parties...but to nip it in the bud,,,for a win win...mother was supposed to take efforts to quiet the kid....failing that...to the rest room or exterior..or baby sitter

[winyanstaz]

178. that man is guilty of assault and battery.

It is no more legal to beat on a child then it is if he slapped the crap out of you.
And if a child crying is enough to drive this man to physically assault someone crying baby....he needs to be locked up.
Stop blaming the victims and put the blame where it belongs.

[opihimoimoi]

179. Look for the REASONS of his reactive behavior,,,follow that trail

I can see it now..."Your Honor, I plead NOT GUILTY...that crying kid and his mother drove me up the wall...I lost it...went

Insane...." "I went Blank"

[adamuu]

37. sometimes it's not an option. Please try to be more patient. n/t

[grace0418]

62. No matter how much I cannot stand parents who don't remove their crying children from

a public area after it's clear they're not going to calm down, on WHAT PLANET is a man assaulting a 2 year old child the MOTHER'S fault? That's just fucked up reasoning.

[Maru Kitteh]

71. Sweet Jeezuz. There is no place for fault or responsibility on the victim or her mother. Period.

I repeat myself.

There is no place for fault or responsibility on the victim or her mother. Period.


The sole FAULT and the SOLE RESPONSIBILITY rest with the perpetrator of the ASSULT.


I still do not get why this is hard for people to understand.

[opihimoimoi]

74. you make the point...now serious consequences...all negative..coulda been easily solved by

apologizing exiting with crying kid...before escalation.....occurs....a win win

now its lose lose

[Maru Kitteh]

115. I don't see anything the mother should apologize for or any reason why she should leave

You are still blaming the victim and the mother of the victim.

Toddlers are people. Human beings. Small children share a few characteristics with some developmentally disabled adults in that they have limited impulse control, difficulty communicating, are sometimes easily frustrated and can on occasion be inappropriately loud and emotional in public. The same sometimes is also true of elderly injured by stroke or dementia. All of these people have a right to be in Wal*Mart.

Your suggestion is ridiculous because it supposes that all caretakers should constantly be on the lookout everywhere they go lest their charges slightly irritate some irrational violent psychotic, ready to whisk them away at the first sign of a tear. This is not practicable, or even wise, and it places the blame on the wrong party.

[opihimoimoi]

123. Find ways to make it work else we suffer continuiously with LOSE-LOSE

[customerserviceguy]

131. How about those with kids they cannot (or will not) control

shopping only during decent hours? I used to go grocery shopping at eleven at night, you can whip through the store like a breeze, but these days, there seems to be a significant number of putative "parents" who think nothing of keeping a kid up that late, and dragging them around the stores.

[opihimoimoi]

140. The Parent(s) of children with offensive public traits have more than an obligation, they have a

responsibility to render normalty in a reasonable manner...

But then, social shit is so varied....we are subject to variations of social interactions at any time

[customerserviceguy]

154. There's sort of an attitude out there

of, "I was stuck with this problem, it validates me to have as many people around me share my sense of loss. Therefore, I 'get back' at the world for my misery by spreading it around."

Well, that might not be the exact thought process, but it looks that way from my side of the room.

[opihimoimoi]

176. YUp, its called Share the Pain Syndrome.....If I suffer, You suffer too..

I see the concept....thanks..

[Maru Kitteh]

143. We already HAVE a way to make it work, it's called prison for motherfuckers who assult people

in grocery store. Done.

[opihimoimoi]

180. Thats so Reactive....what about Proactive? Insenstive Mother lets her kid antagonize

stranger(s) through inncessent crying in a public store...

There should be prison for MFKR People who break the peace with a persistent crying kid....She knew better but thought "FUCK IT"

She needs a course in how to raise kids without offending others

He needs a course in Anger Management

[JeanGrey]

162. You remind me of pit bull owners, when their dogs charge

someone and tear either them up or their dogs, they usually say something like: "well, they could see MY dog was upset, they should have moved on along". Like the entire world revolves around the person who owns a pit bull.

The entire world doesn't revolve around you and you have no right to not be annoyed.

[opihimoimoi]

182. Straw deflection...The Lady is damn Lucky the Man was not a Kook just ready to explode

in a postal way...we do have a segment who are not exactly normal...right on the edge....the lady is lucky her kid is living without serious trauma....he was only slapping not cutting or shooting...

Its not wise to offend others with a kid crying beyond normal....most of us know this...we remove the source of the crying by stopping or a babysitter.

You remind me of folks with limited realms...

[JeanGrey]

220. Since when is it the fault of the victim that the PERP

does what he does and is crazy? I bet you think girls that wear short skirts are asking for it too.

I will repeat: YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT NOT TO BE ANNOYED. No one has to walk on eggshells to please you.

Poor people cannot afford babysitters.

Now if this were a theater, or a something like that, I can buy it.

The man HAD NO RIGHT WHATSOEVER to put his hands on ANYONE. Period.

[opihimoimoi]

231. Agreed...he was wrong for losing it and striking the kid...that wasn't the point

In our nutsy society...where compressed living is everywhere...our social behavior differs from the country areas.

Compressed living, worry from negative factors, will often lead to bizarre behavior.

The mother learned a lesson I hope....to let your kid cry is one thing...but to allow the toddler to reach a level of disturbance...is another.

I am betting she will be watching her kids crying from now on...and she gotta know she was lucky and the stranger(wrong as he was) did not go "postal" and rampage as Berserk Postals do....killing and maiming...She was Lucky, believe me

[JeanGrey]

238. But you DON'T KNOW if the toddler reached a

"Level of disturbance". You are simply guessing.

[NashVegas]

122. Mom Should Have Left the Kid At Home. That Really is Her Responsibility, But It's Not Polite To Say

After all, the customer is always right.

That said, this guy is a freaking psycho and he's lucky he didn't get ripped to shreds.

[Maru Kitteh]

144. That's an outlandishly unrealistic proposal you make, along with an whole assload of assumptions

Do you really think most mothers love the idea of completing a chore that mostly sucks to begin with, even when you're alone, and doing so with one or more irritated and restless children? NO. They do not.

Almost all mothers shopping with children in tow have no other options, or they would exercise them.

So please enlighten us, how exactly is it a woman's "responsibility" to leave children at home while shopping at wal*mart when clearly most often this is not possible for them to do?

[opihimoimoi]

232. She should implore Walmart to create an instore baby sitting service complete with

guards and baby sitter adults....all employed with contact w the kids are screened for the pedo history to prevent any twoubles.

There maybe such a service in her area...the cheap if not free sitting service would avoid this crap...

and make those rooms sound proof....

Evolve, not dissolve

[EndersDame]

161. She may not have had the luxury of stopping everything and going home

some women are single mothers who work and raise kids . This was WalMart she was probably getting essentials. It is not like she took the baby to a restaurant or movie

[Burma Jones]

80. Persistent crying is part of living in our society

If someone can't deal with it, perhaps they should be kept in a more controlled environment where such stimuli are kept from them.

[redqueen]

99. Oh my fucking god... you too?

So very disappointing.

*sigh*

[Trajan]

103. Give me a fucking break ....

This assault cannot be justified by your argument ....

It's sad you even said it ...

[EndersDame]

117. In a restaurant yes, In Walmart it is a different story mom probably needed essentials

and may not have a father or other form of child care and may not be able to go right home

[vadawg]

8. dude has serious mental issues, wonder what the story behind this is

probuably dude will turn out to be off his meds or something...

[The_Casual_Observer]

10. No excuse for this, but have you ever been on a long flight where

a 2 or 3 year old does that shit? It's enough to make you feel that way about it.

[create.peace]

28. feeling that way and acting on it are two different things....nt

[Raineyb]

173. Of course. But look at the number of people getting shit just for THINKING that way.

Something is not right here.

[kestrel91316]

222. I was stuck on a plane delayed for hours with a brat like that screaming and running around

the whole time. When we finally got cleared to leave the gate, the child's parents still wouldn't make her sit down in her seat. The flight attendants got involved. Then the captain got involved. The parents steadfastly insisted that their SCREAMING toddler was harming no one and should be allowed to continue doing what she was doing, running up and down the aisle while delivering bloodcurdling shrieks about not wanting to sit down.

Several hours after the plane was supposed to have departed, the captain ORDERED the entire family of 5 off the plane under threat of arrest, and the entire planeload of passengers stood up and cheered. If they had taken off, things would have become violent before we made our destination, as it was a 4 hour flight.

Ever since then, I have taken an exceedingly dim view of parents who think endless yelling and screaming from their children in public is perfectly ok.

ETA: the original delay was due to weather at our destination. Only the last 2 hours of delay were due to the screaming child on the loose.

[MrSlayer]

11. As a rule, I don't beat up old people.

In this case I would have to make an exception. Touch my kid and you get fucked up.

[Maru Kitteh]

145. Can I hear an AMEN? Mr. Slayer!

They would still be cleaning up the debris where the person who assaulted my child used to exist.

[leeroysphitz]

12. Did the child stop crying? The article doesn't say. n/t

[Name removed]

16. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Crunchy Frog]

51. I have to say that you probably had the stabbing and biting coming to you.

I would guess that you yourself are considerably less socially acceptable than the average bad tempered two year old.

[Maru Kitteh]

72. Well. It's a damn shame THAT subthread was deleted. I missed out on stabbing and biting.

And someone who had it coming. Bummer.

[create.peace]

183. oh she was a real cutie! and about 19, i think!nt

[unblock]

17. i'd be asking which aisle has the baseball bats?

what's really crazy, of course, is that while everyone recognizes this as completely unacceptable for a stranger, somehow some people manage to think it's ok coming from a "loving" parent.

[madmax]

24. Clean up in aisle 4 n/t

[lunatica]

20. As a mother I would have gone for his throat

probably literally. I know I would have hurt him. They would have probably had to drag me off of him and I would have been the one arrested, but I wouldn't care.

[PatGund]

25. And the mother let him LIVE?????

IF someone had done that to my daughter, they would be, at the least, coughing up their teeth. If not trying to keep their gonads inside their body.

What an asshole

[oligarhy]

30. Roger Stephens of Stone Mountain is charged with felony cruelty to children.

Sounds like he is getting what he deserves.

[oligarhy]

31. here is a link with his pic

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090902/ap_on_re_us/us_stranger_slaps_toddler_3

[diane in sf]

73. That is a mean, crazy looking asshole

[EndersDame]

33. I wanted to do the very same to a birthday party table I was waiting on

Kids around 4 to 5 screaming and literally running around the table playing tag! I almost dropped a big hot steaming plate of crawfish etuffee on them!They also decided to throw the crawfish shells around the restaurant Parents just said no with out any punishment (physical or time out or just leaving) I know what the guy did was wrong but surely everyone has felt like doing that once in awhile to some misbehavening kid. My mom just stopped what we were doing and took us home if we got out of line

[alittlelark]

42. I'm sure 160 or so passengers on a plane I was on had that thought.

My son (10 mos or so) was colicky and we were flying back from his great-grandmothers funeral. He screamed from ABQ for 2 or so hours until we got to about 20 minutes from SFO.

NONSTOP shrieking, crying..... it was horrifying. At least 10 people tried to help me - from stewardesses to peer moms to 'grandmas' and one 'grandpa'.

Nothing worked. Nursing him didn't work....

He KEPT SCREAMING.

I will never forget it.

He stopped a bit before landing, and as passengers were disembarking proceeded to stand up holding the back of the seat (w/ my arm behind him) LAUGHING and giggling at all that went by - I could not make eye contact w/ anyone at that point.


I picked up my car from the airport - drove home - dropped him off w/ my husband - went to a movie and silently cried for 1/2 of it.




Sometimes life is not 'a box of chocolates'.

[EndersDame]

50. An Airplane is a sticky situation for an INFANT

You have absolutely no control at that point especially with an infant. I know kids will be kids(and kids not infants like yours) but at somepoint if the parent can do something (as you did ) they should. I would not blame you or your baby .I remember I started a huge fight with my sister in a restaurant we got our warnings and my mom just paid the tab and we left and were not taken out for a whole month . The kids at my table were easily 5 years old at which point the parents should instill some manners or protocol in public or take them home

[alittlelark]

54. But the issue discussed is a 2 year old....

The 8mo-3.5 or yrs stage is tricky, tiring, horrid, and can make one want to run into the streets tearing their clothes off.


Guess what - we were all that age at one time - we ALL had mothers that had to deal w/ the horrors.

If your mother is still alive ask her about her horror stories.



PS - Enders Game is in my top 10 - both my kids have read it.

[EndersDame]

78. Oh i agree it is perfectly natrual for a 2yo to cry and some moms

don't have the luxury of stopping everything and taking the kid home for a nap esp. at Walmart where she was probably picking up essentials . I just had flashbacks of that day at work and wondered why someone would take out of control children to a restaurant that is not Chuck E Cheeses

[Withywindle]

67. God, that's awful. I really feel for you and your kid.

I would never have hit the child or you.

Guaranteed I would have WANTED to, but I was raised right, so I understand I'm not allowed. I just would have given you the stinkeye for the whole flight and written a Strongly Worded Letter to the airline afterward, and maybe written a ranty post to a message board on the internet after that.

Thanks for your attitude. I understand that these things are sometimes uncontrollable. And you seem to understand that the feelings of others around you upset by this are ALSO natural and inevitable. Thank you for that.

Believe me, I'm not unnaturally hypersensitive to noise. I'm a rock critic by trade, specializing in metal and experimental/avant-garde music, for fuck's sake. But a screaming baby is a sound designed by nature to be unignorable, irrhythmic, unpleasant, high-pitched and trebly, meant to make the mother take notice. And for those of us who happen to have never felt any kind of parental instinct, it just makes me want to make it stop by throwing it out the airplane window. I'd prefer 2 hours of a military LRAD assault, by a mile. So while I think slapping a random child is totally wrong, I also think the people who are subjected to that noise and yet don't do that still deserve some credit, because you know many of us want to.

(Don't anyone try to make this a gender thing; I'm female.)

[rocktivity]

167. DING DING DING! Withywindle, You're our grand prize winner!

...I would have WANTED to (slap the child), but I was raised right, so I understand I'm not allowed.

There's nothing WRONG with wanting to, as long as you're able to recognize that it's a selfish and destructive desire that should not and cannot be carried out. Sure it would be nice to enjoy the satisfaction of physically punishing a child for annoying you--it also would be nice to enjoy winning the lottery or being married to your favorite movie star. I guess that's what's I find so disturbing about all this, that this man didn't hesitate to breach both his personal and social barriers. It's a safe bet that a psychological evaluation is on his menu.

:(
rocktivity

[seabeyond]

168. my fuckin... whatever. what? and this is raised right. lordy and yawl are talking parenting

and a childs behavior. and you think this is being raised right. to want to strike someone.... but wtf, all is good cause you didnt.

geeeeeezus

damn good thing i taught my children empathy... so they will have it for the mother and hopefully be helpful, have it for the baby and hopefully be helpful.... and have it for you and other poster, and hopefully be helpful to you too.

that is parenting

clueless people untie

[rocktivity]

170. Recoginizing and eliminating destructive, selfish, immature impulses

LEADS to empathy.


rocktivity

[seabeyond]

171. maybe. if once you get beyond the immaturing of impulse you come to recognition of selfish

reaction to the child, tehn putting self in little ones shoes and mothers shoes to get to empathy. lol

[TicketyBoo]

75. Oh, yeah; life is ALWAYS like a box of chocolates.

You never know what you'll get. Sometimes the chocolate is crappy as hell. You just got one o' them bad 'uns that day.

[customerserviceguy]

133. So, what did your kid get out of going to the funeral?

Why do people even take children on long flights? What benefit does travel do for anyone way too young to ever remember any part of the experience?

Maybe it should be defined as child abuse to stick a kid under the age of five on a flight lasting longer than three hours, then the "poor widdle darlings" people would see things from the perspective of the rest of us.

[seabeyond]

134. grandparents got to see the little ones once or twice a year. i know it means nothing to you

but it does mean something to my husbands parents to be able to at least visit with their grandkids once or twice a year and spend a christmas with them every couple years

and isnt it sad that you feel the need to ok a family to stay connected.

btw.... on all the flights we took with our little ones, even babies, they were never a concern or inconveience to another person. ever. but just seeing a baby on the plane amnounts to about the same as an anti smoker seeing a smoker a 100 yrds away and coughing, like the smoke really effected them.

[customerserviceguy]

135. Then the grandparents should be the ones doing the travelling

And if you were able to manage your kids effectively so that they did not disturb another person, my hat's off to you. I actually had that morbid dread on a short flight from Palm Beach to Atlanta a couple of years ago, when a couple with a lap baby sat next to my window seat on an airliner. But the baby slept the whole time, and my fears were unfounded. That time.

Usually, the opposite is the case. I'd gladly pay extra to fly at the front of the coach section, if they'd shove all the half-price and free flying kids and babies at the back. I'd even be glad to let them disembark first, sitting in my seat for a few extra minutes to get them off the plane early would be worth it.

The day someone comes up with the idea of child-free flights, that becomes my airline of choice.

[Maru Kitteh]

147. Many, many grandparents cannot travel.

Have you ever thought about getting some help? This issue seems preternaturally large for you. The rest of your life WILL be filled with children here and there whether you like it or not. You would probably be a much happier person if you got to the bottom of why this bugs you so much, and why you feel the need to hate little tiny people who have no intent to harm you.

[customerserviceguy]

153. Then why not put the blame for this

on people who move so far away from their families, and then refuse to travel by car with children?

I do not hate tiny little people. I do have complete contempt for the attitudes of those who feel that inflicting an undisciplined child on innocent bystanders is OK for both those people, and the child in question.

As for the rest of my life being surrounded by other people's mismanaged offspring, I try to do everything in my power to stay away from the sources of the irritant, just like I stayed out of the smoking areas of restaurants back when people were allowed to do that. I like animated films, but I choose to wait until they come out on DVD to see them at home, rather than go to a theatre filled with screaming, whiny seat-kickers. Unfortunately, I don't have that option on a commercial air flight just yet.

Maybe the spoiled screeching is music to your ears. So be it, but there is nothing about me that needs "help" for not wanting to put up with it. The only help I need is for those people who have kids to have a bit of compassion for those around them trying to lead a peaceful life.

[seabeyond]

152. grandparents should be ... what a selfishly arrogant person you are

there were cousins too. and aunts and uncles. those people should have flown in too huh? oh wait. the cousins are kids too. hey.... maybe the kids should just not connect adn see each other

no clue to the arrogance, self centeredness of your post?

when i was single and young i would inevitably sit next to a fat old man that would bug me all the way regardless of the book in front of my face. totally offensive and troublesome. why dont we ban the fat old men off the plane. lot more disruptive than any kid and why should i be put upon.

[customerserviceguy]

156. It wasn't me who made the parents move away from the grandparents

Again, there is a solution. Stick the little kids in the back of the plane (hell, they need quick and constant access to the toilets, anyway), and let people like me pay ten or twenty percent more for a ticket at the front of the coach session. The noise stays at the back of the plane, the constant fidgeting in the seat to get up to go pee every fifteen minutes is concentrated back there, and nobody else (besides those who paid regular price, and are stuck in the middle of the plane) is bothered.

[seabeyond]

163. It wasn't me who made the parents move away ... another arrogant self centered comment

and again, .... constantly peeing? my kids have never peed on a plane. i on the other hand... maybe i should be persecuted too.

yes, for the asses that must see trouble in all children that are not there, a solution can be had and readily, as you suggest. fine

it is the absurdity of the self centered attitude that feeds thru out our society that is harmful, regardless of a ready fix with a plane. to the extent that an old man felt he was within his rights to slap a 2 yr old four times in a walmart.

that is the problem, and that is not so readily fixed.

[seabeyond]

165. i watched these oh so self righteous adults walk all over the children out and about as they bitch

about the childrens behavior.

i have talked to children many times about the adults attitude, posters on this board with anti children complaints. i have let kids read the posts on the board so they have an understanding of all those in our society and how best to integrate themselves in our culture.

since we have been doing this, we have noticed how very RUDE and out of CONTROL the very adults that bitch about children are. the self righteous right to be prima dona over the children. time and time and time again, as my children stand in line to be waited on an adult cuts in front of them without a thought. their right. this has happened so often and consistently that there have been times, as i stand back, allowing children (god forbid) to buy their stuff, i have had to speak out to adult and tell them to get behind the children.

and the outrage.

how dare i insist my child be waited on before them

how dare i call them on cutting in front of any child. and i do, not just with my own, but any child that is being continously relegated to back of line, cause the adult is so much more important. has an inherent right to be served first. and the children, that has been taught dont argue with adult, dont question, dont cause problem with adult keeps their fuckin mouth shut as adults exercises their own self absorbed belief of being the superior being.

adult behavior is no better than a childs. if you look around your world

and just who the FUCK do you think are teaching these children

[customerserviceguy]

189. There is no excuse for an adult to cut in front of a child

unless that adult thinks the kid is just hanging around the checkout counter because the parental unit has no idea where the kid is. In that case, it's just a simple misunderstanding.

But on the whole, are adults worse that children? You might have made that case decades ago, but the balance has long since shifted. It's rare when I hear a parent asking their kid to shut up now that they finally got the customer rep from the utility company on the phone. I always make a point to thank them, to reinforce these conscientious parents. They feel relieved knowing they have an ally out there who appreciates "grownup time".

[seabeyond]

193. i am glad you dont hear parents telling children to "shut up". it is rude. and that you

feel the need to pat a parent on the back for telling their children to shut up is telling. a simple, i am on the phone suffices.

not that you know the situation, but by your statement i am going to guess the adult had been waiting on hold. maybe while they were on hold waiting for YOU..... they were having a conversation and YOU interupted them. and the parent thought it rude to cut kid off because YOU decided that moment to pick up the call. and hte parent considered YOU waiting a mere sec or two for them to end conversation was LESS rude then telling kid to shut up

but hey

it is all about you after all

and no.... too consistent and often that an adult cuts line. they would probably tell kid to "shut up" if they dare to speak out that they are cutting. and i am sure you would applaud said behavior, keeping kid in their place

good lessons to teach kids.

[customerserviceguy]

199. No, I didn't "interrupt" them

They called to talk to me to get something important done. And I don't "decide" to pick up the call, when your turn comes in the queue, you're the next caller that comes to me, or anybody in my department.

In any case, I've never told them to tell the kid to shut up, settle down, etc. I can imagine that the worst that would happen is I would say that I'm having trouble hearing them clearly, the same as if they're working next to machinery or a loud TV. I have identified myself and my company multiple times, even though I hear some stray noise in the background, I've used the word, "No response" (for the person doing monitoring) and just hung up. We're not paid to sit around and determine exactly how long it takes for the person calling to wrap up what it is they're doing. The next person on queue has been waiting for just as long, and deserves a prompt response.

"All about you." That's what the privileged majority uses to shut up those that choose to ask for their rights. How Freeperlike.

[CBGLuthier]

166. Would you come run my life too

Please. I need someone who seems to have solutions for everyone else to come take over my life and you seem to be the person for it.

You resent babies flying free. Hilarious. You do know the mothers have to keep them on their fucking laps the whole ride don't you.

I guess when we took the train to florida and flew back we should have "checked" our grandson instead of letting him in a plane where he would disturb someone special like you.

Ass.

[customerserviceguy]

195. Yeah, I know they can keep "lap babies" on their laps

all the way until the kid is two years old. I sure hope on your next airline trip you have one of them screaming and kicking the seatback for five hours.

Maybe you'd develop some empathy for my position.

Again, all I advocate is separate seating arrangements. The did this for the smokers a few decades ago, it can work in this instance, too.

[JVS]

203. I wonder if the sleeping baby had been drugged with benadryl.

[customerserviceguy]

214. It was only a short flight, about an hour and a half

between the two airports. And there are parents who know the tricks of keeping kids relatively well behaved on flights. That's why red-eye flights work best, the whole plane is dark, and any children on it will likely be napping.

[Maru Kitteh]

146. 10 month old babies are usually still breast-feeding genius.

They're not potted plants or little robots with an off switch. Neither are breasts for that matter.

The last time I saw this much irrational hate born of ignorance I was at a Ben Nelson healthcare townhall. I think those might be your people.

[customerserviceguy]

157. I have no problem with a breast-feeding child

At least that kid's got something to do with his mouth than scream.

[seabeyond]

164. but the next self absorbed person does and feels his/her argument just as valid as yours

and it is not just with children. control of ones environment has escalated to such an extent this is just a mere slice of the true cancer.

it is the person that bites off a finger

it is a person that rams vehicle into another cause they dare to get in their lane when driving

it is the person that demands, constantly demands.... only their needs, demands and wants be met and a society of people be damned

[customerserviceguy]

186. Well, it's ridiculous to compare a perfectly calm natural function

with the blood-curdling screeching of an untamed child in the irritant department. And people who want peace and quiet are not "self-absorbed". I would counter that people who drag their kids around like yuppie accessories without a care about the serenity of the people in the immediate vicinty as self-absorbed.

[seabeyond]

187. peace and quiet is to be had within your home. expectation of peace and quiet amongst

the massive of the outside world is again a childish and unrealistic expectation or demand.

get an ipod, plug your ears, sunglasses and dont make eye contact with anyone. that is about the best you get if you put body in a crowd of people expecting peace and quiet.

talk about ridiculous.

[customerserviceguy]

197. There are expected standards of behavior in all social situations

I can't do jumping jacks on the elevator, but you defend the right of people to avoid simply training their kids to behave in public.

I'm an atheist, but maybe teaching kids "church behavior" needs to come back. That's how my parents generation handled the problem.

[seabeyond]

215. since obviously 2 is too old for a child to cry, when is the training period

for you.

training in and of itself connotates a period of time to get the job done. maybe at fuckin TWO they are still in "training" as EVERYONE is trying to explain to you.

or are they to come out of the canal already trained.

this is exactly what people are saying to you. it takes YEARS to train and still as adults, some have not grasped that training.

[JHB]

98. Sounds like the parents took them to the wrong kind of place for a birthday party

I've never heard of crawfish entuffee before (wild guess: a Louisiana dish?) so I don't know how fancy a place would have to be to serve it, but even a "family restaurant"-type place just seems like a hugely bad choice for a party for 4-5 year olds, where you can guarantee the kids will get worked up and overexcited. Even kids that are well-mannered enough that you can take them out to restaurants are suceptible to getting loose once you throw a party into the mix.

[EndersDame]

116. Oh totally My mom would have just paid the tab and took us home

Walmart on the other hand you gotta expect screaming kiddos

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

34. I don't have children

But I have worked with and around them most of my life. There are many, many reasons a child might cry. I'm glad that the man has been charged. What he did was wrong.

[Cali_Democrat]

35. Here's a picture of the asshole.....

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Wal-Mart/photo//090902/480/b31545058dd843e580cbc5d4244ec812//s:/ap/20090903/ap_on_re_us/us_stranger_slaps_toddler

[question everything]

45. Slapping on the face? What happened to a pat on her tush?

Some autistic kids scream and I really feel sorry for the parents.

[Maru Kitteh]

148. Or for that matter, what happened to not assulting other people in the grocery store, no matter

what their age?

[Crunchy Frog]

52. But he was just a poor sweet innocent old man, inconvenienced by a woman's bad parenting.

[Maru Kitteh]

149. That is the face of man who has practiced the art of virulent anger for a long, long time.

Damn. His eyes look positively hypotrophic.


Rot in prison, asshole.

[pepperbear]

58. OMG. he's an ugly harrison ford with wc fields' nose. n/t

[greyl]

60. Spot on! nt

[Manifestor_of_Light]

63. Damn. His face is gonna freeze like that.

Plowing fields with his lower lip, too.


:wtf:

I want no part of grumpy old bastards, I've suffered enough from them.

[euphoria12leo]

36. Clean up in the kitchenware section.

Call an ambulance for a 61 year old man. BTW if the mother slapped her own child in the store there is a possibility that someone might have called the police on her. Then she would have been arrested for child abuse. Also a visit to her home from The Child Protection Agency.

[lonestarnot]

38. Is the old mentally ill man on a 72 hour hold yet?

on edit, a post diagnosis. Freak! How puggish is that. But can you imagine striking a friend's child, let alone a stranger's child. You've got to be missing a couple of functioning brain cells, to do something like that. And the action is probably on someones desk by now in the form of a CD.

[Odin2005]

39. Ugh. Evil bastard.

People who hurt kids are scum.

[mamaleah]

41. The guy should suffer a mother's wrath. That said, the mom may have been afraid to discipline her

own child in public. Busybodies have decided that anyone who doesn't have a full discussion and attempts at logic with a toddler are abusers.

Years ago when I was in the mall with my kids, my then 4 year old son decided to have a classic "exorcist" style tantrum. I quickly smacked his butt which got his attention instantly, sat him down and very firmly told him we were going home.

I was yelled at by a 20 something woman who admitted, when I asked, that she didn't have kids. But of course she was an expert. Aren't they always.

Busybodies, and creeps like this man, make a parents job that more difficult.

[aikoaiko]

43. "but you don't mess with someone's kid. " exactly.

I'm hard pressed to think of a situation that would warrant slipping a stranger's kid and I hate listening to other's kids crying.

[Crunchy Frog]

48. My feet would be in that bastard's groin before he even knew what hit him.

:grr:

[Nevernose]

57. This is why I don't carry a gun.

I don't have the necessary level of responsibility. The moment you even approached my child, at any age, with any intent of harming her, if I had a gun I'd shoot you. I have very little reason to live beyond her and very little self-control. I'm a little crazy that way. I don't care if any permanent damage was done or not.

That's why the weapons I DO own are mostly inherited, mostly locked away (in another state, no less), and mostly aware of their owner's overprotectiveness (which is probably not even a word :)). Even without a gun, by the second time that guy hit my kid, he would have been trying to retrieve his own intestines from my fist.

[Sultana]

64. Ooh, I would kick that motherfucker's ass!

OMG!

So wrong on so many levels.

[omega minimo]

65. DON'T SHOP AT EVIL WALMART!!!!!!!!

[TicketyBoo]

77. No excuse for this…

…but I have to say, if it had been my child, we would have exited the store if I couldn't quiet her down. If you don't, you end up with a tantrum-prone child which is no good for parent or child or anyone around them. And, yes, I am a mother and have handled situations such as this, although only once or twice. It doesn't take a child long to learn what is acceptable in public.

Of course, there is no excuse for anyone (including the Mom) to be slapping the little girl.

[timtom]

79. To those downthread who defend the old miscreant's action:

THIS IS INDEFENSIBLE!!!

It is ASSAULT!!!

[Lance_Boyle]

87. nobody has defended the slapper

but some have correctly pointed out that the mother handled the situation poorly by not dealing with her tantrum-throwing child before the situation escalated. When you're in public, little precious needs to be controlled. Let them throw uncontrolled tantrums all you want in private.

[seabeyond]

88. stated toddler crying. wimper? 30 sec, minute? on and off? being resolved or not?

do you know a single damn thing about what was going on.... or just being stupid in assumption as IF you have some kind of knowledge to make up your story of out of control tantrum and parent did nothing.

[redqueen]

102. Is it ok with you when people point out what victims should have done to avoid being raped?

Fucking hell.

And also, how do all these assholes know the kid wasn't sick, teeting, etc? Should mothers only be able to go out in public with their kid when they're in perfect health, and not uncomfortable at all?

[Trajan]

109. Nobody has an absolute obligation ..

to run into hiding when a child 'acts up' ...

Children all over the world are crying ..... Billions of them ....

That is what babies do ....

I hope you have hand enough for them ...

( What assholes are in DU this morning .... )

[Lorien]

130. It's always a woman's fault, right?

:eyes:

[Mystayya]

84. I cannot believe that people on a progressive board are blaming the mother and child.

Granted it is only a few people, but it's still something one would expect to see on a RW or RR board, not here, among Democrats.

[seabeyond]

90. when i was young, single, childless/free.... i said a lot fo stupid

things because i was clueless.... too

[Mystayya]

101. Good point- I did too, now that I think about it.

[opihimoimoi]

185. Get Used to it....this board takes all view points and expressions

The man is guilty of losing it...

But to his defense...he was assualted with persistent/excrutiating crying....whose mother was not controlling/attending...

His well being senses was ASSUALTED FIRST.

Considerate Parents TRY not to let their kids assualt anyone with obnoxious/noisy behavior beyond reason.

She is lucky the man was not a "Postal" Person....who coulda done much worse...

[seabeyond]

188. he doesnt have a defense. this is where you error. when going out in public, you dont have the

right for your sense to NOT be "assaulted"

if he cannot handle the public, hibernate and come out at three in the morning to do his shopping at walmart. the world is not going to adjust to his demands.

[opihimoimoi]

213. Are you nuts? Everyone has a right to somesemblence of peace when shopping. etc

while in a public setting...

If your kid is crying in offending manner, you should stay the fuck home and come out at 3 to shop....

Urban living requires Compression...social rules for the farm country side is diff from urbanites....

It s so easy to attack the slapper...and he deserves it...but the Mother is the ROOT CAUSE

She should be in Rehab

[Crunchy Frog]

223. If you want to be guaranteed peace and quiet while shopping

then go the fuck online. :eyes:

[opihimoimoi]

224. If ya want your cryin kid from being slapped by strangers....stay the fuck home.

[Crunchy Frog]

225. If you don't want to get thrown in jail for assault and battery

you probably should avoid public places as much as possible.

I can't believe how many people here expect two year olds to have more self control than they themselves do. :eyes:

[opihimoimoi]

227. Its the mother, not the kid or the stranger who lost it. its the mother who coulda but didn't

control the situation...

There ARE OTHER Perspectives and I see the man guilty of losing it going to court....

on our dime...everyday in jail costs society $$...in this case...for what? justice?

This realm is truly fucked if only one view is maintained...

[Crunchy Frog]

230. So some old psycho who lashed out and beat a two year old

is just some poor innocent victim of a bad mother.

The money spent keeping this psycho behind bars is money well spent.

If you think the same thing might happen to you, then you may want to try to avoid public spaces.

[opihimoimoi]

236. I didn't say that..don't be puting words....The guy is guilty...he should go to anger management,

maybe jail for a year or two....money well spent? I disagree....

That dude....his life is now in tatters....maybe it was that way to begin with,,,who knows....but he is now fucked

I believe The root cause is the inconsiderate mother...all that negative events was not supposed to happen....

[seabeyond]

226. eeew. what an ugly ass you are. pretty nasty. nt

[opihimoimoi]

233. Take it easy, I was responding to frog...who used FUCK first....

[seabeyond]

234. as stupid as you are.... that was kinda cute. nt

[opihimoimoi]

237. I fuckin knew it...

[redqueen]

190. "But to his defense"... hey... all you people saying "no one's defending him"... wrong!

And *roffle*... "assaulted" with crying... :eyes:

You don't know that she didn't TRY to quiet the kid.

But very big of you to at least admit that you ARE defending this asshole. Thanks for not being a coward about it, at least.

[opihimoimoi]

209. I was not defending his actions...I was defending his right to reasonable Peace

The lady was not attending to the kid...she was letting the offending noise continue...her efforts failed...she was supposed to give the kid candy or sumpthin...like a pacifier

[redqueen]

210. "she was supposed to give the kid candy or sumpthin...like a pacifier"

Really?

:rofl:

And yeah, like I said... you were defending... thanks for owning up to it.

[opihimoimoi]

211. It worked for my 4 kids///we never had one complaint...the lady is selfish and of limited Realms

She is lucky her kid is still living/not seriously hurt

There are Kooks out there...she ran into a mild one....

[Jennicut]

89. Kids cry...over a wet diaper, being hungry, being tired. I have two young kids.

They are only a year apart. When they were 1 and 2 and I would bring them into stores (because I was not going to lock myself in the house all day and things needed to get done) they were tough at times. Sometimes they cried. No one slapped my kids. If anyone slapped my kids they would be sorry. Its child abuse, plain and simple. I don't lay a hand on my own kids....what gives a stranger the right to? I would not try to go after the person as the kids would see me hitting someone. But the police would be called fast.

[Joanne98]

93. Only a conservative would do something like that. I hope he gets the death penalty.

[slackmaster]

94. Only an authoritarian would be in favor of the death penalty

:nuke:

[Maine-ah]

139. well, there seem to be some in our own back yard

that would have loved to do the same.

[guitar man]

96. damn

My wife would have broken both of his arms :grr:

[redqueen]

100. The amount of blame-the-victim BS going on in these threads is disgusting.

How can people not see what they're doing?

[seabeyond]

104. a world of internet, not lookoing eye to eye, world of self indulgence....

it will just get worse and worse.

civility be damn

[Trajan]

105. Repeat this three times ....

Assault is against the law ....

Assault is against the law ....

Assault is against the law ....

Is it getting through yet ?

I cannot believe the fine and upstanding DUers who are drudging themselves through the mud on this one ....

Pitiful ....

[L0oniX]

106. The guy is probably a cia agent.

[fascisthunter]

114. one must be warped to defend that bastard who hit that kid

I could care less what anyone's political affiliaion is.

[customerserviceguy]

129. There's a difference between defending his actions

and understanding what motivated them. For everyone who would even threaten to do this, there are ten thousand others who would think about it, if only fleetingly.

[Lorien]

132. There are a few authoritarian misogynist bastards on this board

they seem to be unaware of the fact that they took a Left turn when they should have veered Right.

I don't have kids, but if one is just driving me nuts at a store I just leave for a while. The kid could have an earache, or be hungry, or God only knows what, but parents can't control something like crying 100% of the time.

[create.peace]

184. thanks for your wise comments!nt

[Ladyhawk]

124. I once yelled at a kid who pulled a cockatiel's tail at a bird mart.

The kid's mother was upset with me, but seemed to have no problem with her child's behavior. I admit I dressed the kid down: "How would you like it if I pulled your hair?"

I never touched the kid, but the mother didn't seem to care about what her child had done. She (the mother) got upset with me and told me she would "handle it." I didn't notice the mother "handling it," but maybe she did so out of ear-shot.

I very nearly asked to have them evicted from the premises.

Of course, this is very different from hitting another person's child. Because of the way I was "disciplined" at home (beaten with a belt), I vowed to never hit a child. I reserve the right, however, to say something if I see a child abusing another child or an animal.

[donco6]

138. I don't see anything wrong with that.

Using your voice to save a helpless animal from being tortured is appropriate.

Of course, physical violence is just nutty.

[seabeyond]

191. what an excellent example for the kid in his teaching moment. an adult, resorting to yelling

at a kid instead of reasoning, explaining, teaching the kid why an impulsive action is not the correct action.

you had a moment to teach the child something valuable. and you failed. you screeched at him. and his mother had to take a position she may not have wanted to, because of your inappropriate behavior.

hopefully the mother then had a conversation with child about both your behavior and his behavior, once she was alone with the child to do it in an appropriate and productive place.

[customerserviceguy]

201. Ok, next time you see a kid running out into traffic

you try "reasoning" with them and see how far it gets you.

That defenseless bird was being attacked by a self-centered bully of a child, and immediate action was needed to cause the offending behavior to cease as quickly as possible. If screeching got the result done in a second, rather than a minute or two for your negotiation session, then it was justified.

Now, if the bird had pecked or bit the child with it's beak in self-defense, would you be calling for it to be killed for doing so? Wouldn't a bite be the natural consequence of torturing a pet?

[LanternWaste]

205. Seems a rather dramatic difference

Seems a rather dramatic difference in both degrees and response...

[seabeyond]

218. i never had to resort to yelling at kids running into traffic either. geeeezus

it really is obvious you didnt raise you kids.

[JVS]

207. Kid was abusing an animal and is thus fucked up sociopath

And you defend him

[seabeyond]

219. kids aren't all knowing, consequent thinkers. they have to be taught.

that is what people in this society do. we understand they are not adults, equipped to think like an adult and we spend 18 fuckin years and more teaching our children all this shit.

i am not defending the kids actions as i stated in the post, i would have talked to the kid about what he did, let him think it thru and the repercussion of his action. it has never been a challenge for me to teach kids right... kindness, responsibility to animal or human. this is a fuckin easy one. it is much HARDER teaching this to adults. this whole fuckin thread is evidence of that.

a stranger on a rant, yelling and behaving less than adult is not the way to get the kid the lesson we all want him to learn. it teaches him the very opposite of what we want him to learn. so why the fuck approach in that manner so we do not get the end result we want

compassion toward an animal.

[JVS]

206. I yelled at a couple in front of their kids. That was cool.

[Lorien]

128. Probably a big Faux News fan, Beck in particular

misogynist authoritarian a-hole!

[FarCenter]

136. Need more info - were they in hardware, automotive or in housewares, toys?

[donco6]

137. IT WAS EVERYONE'S FAULT!

They were at Wal-Mart.

:)

[opihimoimoi]

141. no shit...all parties fucked up and disturbed the flow of Peace..

[EndersDame]

150. Sometimes Walmart is vital. It is sometimes the only 24 store in smaller towns

[donco6]

159. Yeah, and why is that anyway?

Because they drove all other business away.

And sometimes, you can just wait for that milk.

[JVS]

198. Because Mom and Pop were price gouging assholes who closed at 7:00 PM and if you needed medicine...

for a sick child that was your tough shit.

[redqueen]

202. Spot fucking on...

There's one of those near me, and even now that we have a real grocery store in town, they still charge an arm and a leg for stuff... cause you know those folks without a car can't get to the supermarket easily... and there's no bus service out in the boonies.

[EndersDame]

204. I made a 2 am run to WalMart to get Pepto for my Better Half

and he made one for me for mmigraine medicine . It might sound weird but that was the most caring and touching present that he is ever gotten me . I hhad to explain to him that going out getting out of his jammies at 2 am and driving out to wally worldto try to relieve my pain was a hell of alot more meaning full than flowers or stuff. Of course now that we are back in Austin we could go to a 24 hour walgreens of CVS but I am sure They have done their fair share of putting local pharmacies outta business

[donco6]

216. Well, then Wal-Mart's your store.

Enjoy.

[bridgit]

151. hubby story from years back: at Christmas, Christmas mind you; a little girl was fully & completely

reading and oh BTW *shouting* thee very riot act to her consternated mother's face (in public) about how ssshhheeee wants this and ssshhhheeeee wants that and there will be hell to pay unless she gets it absolutely haranguing the woman in the middle of a dept store at the base of a busy elevator as her mother tried mightily to placate...and that is the word: placate; her tyrannical infant terrible outbursts so he walks by and oh BTW-2 his daughters, cause I know them, are the very image of creatively engaged decorum wonderful women who were themselves once tiny but there he goes looking for x-mas stuff and he sees the tortured look on this mother's face above the screeaching child as she tries to calm this Veruca Salt Moment back into the bottle at which point in time as he passes he stops beside essentially the two of them pointing with his finger into le terrible's face...

...

...

"Do not ever speak to your mother like that."

Shocked faces on the both of them for a suspended moment in time, after which the mom turned herself looking up into his eyes and thanked him, "Thank you"

It's not right to be slapping on kids...right?

[EndersDame]

160. The child in the story is TWO years old and was probably crying because

exhaustion hunger discomfort or any other number of reasons and cannot properly vocalize. Two years should not be held up to the same standards as kids. Besides even bratty children do not deserve to be slapped by strangers for any reason

[bridgit]

169. Oh sure, and they don't call them 'the terrible twos' for nothing

[frustrated_lefty]

196. Failed parent

If the parent had bothered to raise her child properly, the situation never would have arisen.

Feel free to disagree, but, if you don't have a child, your opinion is utterly irrelevant.

[redqueen]

200. LOL... yes, all *good* parents' two-year-olds NEVER have crying fits.

:rofl:

[Lars39]

208. So at what age did you start pinching, poking and spanking your child

so that by age 2 he wouldn't have a normal 2 year old's responses?

[seabeyond]

217. she hasnt had TIME to RAISE the kid yet. only TWO. geezus, kids suppose to be raised coming out of

canal. you all are beyond stupid.

another says toddler should be trained. you say failed to raise....

TWO fuckin yrs old and should be trained and raised.

what fuckin world do you people live in

[kestrel91316]

221. I hate screaming toddlers in public places probably more than most people, lol,

but even I would never in a million years touch one in anger. Jeebus H Christ.

The worst I would do is let the attached parent know what I thought about excessive noisemaking in public.

[flvegan]

228. This thread's not gone well.

[lumberjack_jeff]

235. Color me shocked. n/t

[yoyossarian]

229. Unfreakinbeliievable!

The story, and the fact that SOME here think it could in ANY way be justified, this ASSAULT on an INNOCENT 2-yr-old...

Ultimate solution: Slap that dumb sonofabitch with lawsuit after lawsuit until HE'S the one bawlin' his eyes out!

Take it away, Moe!




Great tee-shirts, buttons and such at
Laugh City!


President Evil Online
has risen from the grave!

[kumbaya]

239. As to your last sentence:

Do you own your child? Is s/he your property? The real outrage should be ANYONE slapping a child. It is inhumane and lacking human dignity to hit anyone. If I slapped you, I would be charged with battery and yet it's okay for a big person to do that to a little one?