TOO BAD, TOOGOOD - YOU'RE A LOUSY EXCUSE FOR A PARENT

NY Post ^ | September 24, 2002 | By ANDREA PEYSER

[southern rock]

MOTHER of the Year Madelyne Toogood has three small children, four driver's licenses, and two names to chose from - depending upon the state in which she parks her trailer. But Mommie Dearest has not one permanent address.

The country now is as familiar with Toogood's parenting skills as it is with the danger of Hurricane Isidore. This past weekend, the savage in blue jeans was all over TV, furiously whacking her small daughter about the head, a scene caught on surveillance videotape.

[dfwgator]

Bill Clinton changed his hair color every week, and Peyser probably worships the ground he walks on.

[Poohbah]

Until this story came out, and gave knowledgable Freepers reason to comment, I had never heard of the Irish Travelers.

Some people have too much other stuff to do, so they don't have time to watch the Clinton Broadcasting System (aka See BS) and Nothing But Clinton.

[mewzilla]

Toogood's got some splainin' to do, too, about her not so visible means of support. Hopefully, her manner of supporting the lifestyle she's become accustonmed to will land her in some major hot water as well.

[NYCVirago]

If you go back to old threads, you may find that myself and others warned you that THIS (and ratings, of course) is why you are being made to emote on this trivial case.

Would you please get off your high horse on this? For somebody who thinks that this case is so "trivial" and not worthy of media attention, you've spent days writing about it and hectoring the rest of us about it. Hypocrite.

[southern rock]

Hopefully, her manner of supporting the lifestyle she's become accustonmed to will land her in some major hot water as well.

Yeah. Nobody should ever be able to own anything that they can't explain to the IRS. After all, they have a "right" to know how you came by that computer you are using, don't they?

[southern rock]

For somebody who thinks that this case is so "trivial" and not worthy of media attention, you've spent days writing about it and hectoring the rest of us about it. Hypocrite.

Not to answer for someone else, but the point is that the original hitting incident was trivial, however now we all see how the state, law enforcement, CPS, the IRS can work together to destroy a person to further their agenda. Its the bigger picture, dammit!

[fight_truth_decay]

Also reported they had 4-5 cars including the SUV..a Mercedes (others not given)..The "wandering Irish gypsy" lifestyle must pay REAL good!

[Delphinium]

I agree with you. This whole thing has got me upset with even the ones I still watched on TV. Self righteous is right. I have experienced a small child that was out of control no matter what I did. I never hit him in the face, but I did pull his hair, and spanked him in parking lots a few times. This son is now 26 and is closer to me than the other 2 that never got spanked.I can tell you that I did lose control atleast once after he threw a tantrum in a grocery store, emptied off several shelves on the floor, and yelled the f word across the store. I can't justify it now, but I am a very good, and loving parent. I remember self righteous people back then. Course back then they would judge me because I didn't spank him enough. A few school teachers lost it with him a few times. This child had some special problems that took alot of parenting skills to resolve. I have a huge family (46) nieces, and nephews, and I can tell you its not always so simple. And what does having to travel to make a living have to do with it?

[agrace]

As a first-year homeschooler I have to agree with your post. What Toogood did was monstrous and she should suffer the utmost consequences, but the tone of this article is frightening for the reasons you stated.

[mewzilla]

I didn't steal it or the money to pay for it. If I had then I'd deserve everything I got coming.

[FeliciaCat]

I believe the writer was trying to show the mother as being unfit. The facts being presented, ie that the mother has no permanent address, multible identies, been busted by the police is just proving her point.

[Sloth]

The truth is that Toogood's appalling attitude toward child-rearing is not so different from the thinking of many who see children as personal property to be raised as they see fit.

For those of you unable to read between the lines, she's equating this abusive gypsy slut with homeschoolers.

[mewzilla]

BTW, should I take from your post that you think shoplifting is a moral and socially acceptable activity to engage in?

[fight_truth_decay]

Another media rampage! The woman was wrong..fact! But to go onto the News Networks to be interviewed and Face the Nation..the woman has brass (candlesticks).All about ratings ladies and gentlemen!Will be a book soon and some down and out Folk singer will write a song..to some gypsy stomping music!

[Sungirl]

I am sure at least half the people in here have got hit that way at least once.

[Gorons]

[Arkinsaw]

For those of you unable to read between the lines, she's equating this abusive gypsy slut with homeschoolers.

Yep...only the State and the NEA can raise children properly. The traveler chick has now become the poster child for folks like this.

We must be careful not to let appalling video of an abusive parent cause us to make bad law affecting all good parents no matter how many times they show this video on television.

Its no different than screeching that guns need to be banned every time somebody gets shot with one. Thats pretty much why this is the top story.

[lady lawyer]

Those who keep calling the incident "trivial" must have missed the last part of the tape. After the mom got the little girl secured in the car seat, so she couldn't avoid the blows, she began punching the little girl in the head. It is clear she was punching, not slapping. Early in the tape, she was slapping, swinging her arm across her body. After the got the little girl in the car seat, she began punching, with a motion straight forward from the shoulder. You can't "slap" that way, you can only punch.

The business about the mom being a Traveler is germane for a number of reasons.

First, these people make their living as professional con artists. It is not that they live in trailers, it is not that they move around to "find work," it is not that they have no permanent address, it is not that they live "outside authority." It is that they are crooks. They make their living by preying on, and stealing from, other people. That is germane to this case because you can't believe a word this woman says about whether she is a good mother. They are trained to be believable.

Second, the woman was in the act of attempting a scam. This raises all kinds of interesting possibilities as to why she was angry with the little girl. If the little girl was part of the scam, and she was getting hit because the scam was unsuccessful, that should be considered in any decision as to whether the child should be returned to her parents.

As others have mentioned, the fact that these people are transient, with numerous identities, and adept at avoiding the law, is highly relevant to whether any kind of legal "monitoring" would work.

[mombonn]

paddled girl's

Paddled???? She was attacked!

[society-by-contract]

Additionally, using two names is not a crime. Most of Hollywood does this.