Posted on 09/12/2014 7:42:44 PM PDT by xzins
An arrest warrant was issued Friday in Texas for Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson after he was indicted on a child abuse charge for using a branch to spank his son. He won't play in Sunday's game against the New England Patriots.
The Vikings said they had deactivated Peterson for Sunday's game Friday evening, just after his lawyer and the Montgomery County sheriff's office confirmed he was
Read Adrian Peterson's lawyer Rusty Hardin's statement in full below:
Adrian Peterson has been informed that he was indicted by a grand jury in Montgomery County, Texas for Injury to a Child. The charged conduct involves using a switch to spank his son. This indictment follows Adrian’s full cooperation with authorities who have been looking into this matter. Adrian is a loving father who used his judgment as a parent to discipline his son. He used the same kind of discipline with his child that he experienced as a child growing up in east Texas. Adrian has never hidden from what happened. He has cooperated fully with authorities and voluntarily testified before the grand jury for several hours. Adrian will address the charges with the same respect and responsiveness he has brought to this inquiry from its beginning. It is important to remember that Adrian never intended to harm his son and deeply regrets the unintentional injury.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcwashington.com ...
You can look through this thread and see the pics yourself. There are about 10 switch marks on his legs.
There are no pics of face strikes, and your saying it is the first time I’ve heard it. My guess is those pics would also have been released.
Seeing the pics, and reading what is known, the guy clearly went over the top. None of us knows whether this is a pattern or if he did it out of rage. I'll wait to see, but what he did was over the top.
Intended or not, it was over the top. Welts and bleeding are over the top, remember, those pics are days AFTER it happened.
As I said, none of us know yet whether this is a mistake, which is possible, or a pattern of rage, or something in between. I'm not saying the man deserves jail, or deserves losing his reputation, all I'm saying is this one incident is over the top and if nothing else, was an extreme way of using corporal punishment. If that's all it is, he will learn to be better at being a disciplinarian and a parent. Let's hope that becomes the end result of the case here.
Here’s the link to the pics.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3203549/posts?page=61#61
Check your freepmail
I also think it was over the top and say so many times after I saw the pics.
However, a switch hurts. And barring other evidence, this is not a felony, and should be handled through social services with direction from the court.
I know this kind of family, and I have zero doubt that he was mirroring what he’d learned from his own family about punishment.
First, I didn't comment on what Mr. Peterson did or didn't do to his young son. I merely mentioned that harsh punishment in my own family correlated with failure in life, and milder punishment seemed to correlate with general life success. I then noted that my own sons, although raised strictly and with discipline, were never hit. And managed to turn out pretty well.
In terms of the present case, I believe the father engaged in criminal child abuse, and prison would not be out of line. I hope that, if convicted, the judge has significant discretion, as it will be the details of the case that determine whether or not incarceration is appropriate or needed.
However, my own view is contingent on seeing what evidence is presented at trial. I'm willing to accept that perhaps he is not guilty of criminal child abuse.
What leads me to believe that this was a criminal act are the following: the punishment seems to be an act of rage, not a measured dose of discipline. Apparently, much of the boy's body is marked, including his genitalia. When my father belted us, it was one, two, three shots to our rear ends. Usually with our pants on. We didn't get belted all over our bodies, including between our thighs. The leaves in the mouth suggests to me an intentional cruelty related to the out-of-control rage. Finally, the kid is four years old. The punishment given is out of proportion to the person to whom it was directed. At four, I might have gotten a spanking by my father with his open hand, or perhaps with a belt. Once, maybe twice. I might have gotten an open slap across the face. But my father never thrashed me at age four.
The punishment here, to me, does not suggest a measured response to the actions of a four year-old, but rather the violent, cruel, out-of-control actions of someone large enough to readily kill a young child. Mr. Peterson is responsible for himself, and must realize that his size and strength are, themselves, a hazard to the health and well-being of others whom he chooses to assault.
But, if it is shown at trial that the young tyke is a fire-setting, foul-mouthed, manipulative, narcissistic little psychopath, then I'd consider that as a significant defense.
Otherwise, Mr. Peterson should be held accountable.
sitetest
Yeah, I was gonna say, "So?". But after seeing the pictures, AP is wrong on this one. Spanking your kid anywhere other than his backside is abuse.
Everyone is freaking out over the switch. I was listening to S.E. Cupp this morning and she hadn't ever even heard of a switch (how is that possible?).
I used to have to go cut my own switch. That was the worst part of the whole punishment. That's like making a condemned man tie his own hanging noose.
The switch wasn't the worst tool my Mom ever used. Hot Wheels tracks and extension cords left more of a psychological scar that a switch or a belt.
I presume we'll learn the truth in the next few weeks, or at least I hope we will.
He is 6 now. Very sweet and good boy.
Again, barring additional information, I’m going with what I know of a switching.
A switch is limber and it bends, so as I try to imagine how an inner thigh can be struck, the only thing that makes sense is that a switch to the outer leg then had the end of the switch wrap around the leg. The very nature of a switch is that it is a slender, limber outer branch.
I really can’t think of any other way than a wrap around to hit an inner thigh.
I disagree with the “rear end” thing. Yes, it’s best, but I see no problem hitting elsewhere. Especially when it is IMMEDIATELY needed, a rear end is not always convenient. Part of discipline is the swiftness as well as the firmness. The lack of “speedy trials” is an example of how we are failing in our society to emphasize the seriousness of crime these days by delaying everything, including the death penalty. Drawing it out gives more time and makes those “punished” think it’s not really a big deal - after all, they have time to think about other things!
Anyone who complains I ask them to check out animal mothers. Horses and dogs will bite (nip) and horses kick, I just watched the other day a younger deer get thumped on the back with a hoof just for being in the way.
Have to make a comment on the shepherding. Nonsense. Many dogs will bite and hold - that is standard if necessary. They are not “bad”. Never mind the heel-nippers for cattle.
As the son of immigrant Americans I know the tough standards I was expected to live to. Corporal punishment was expected. However, it was always “discipline, not damage” to the body. I feel bad for Mr. Peterson as if he was raised in my father’s family they would have given him a more merciful worldview in his upbringing. My last question is: Did the young boy that was disiplined have to cry out “Toby” to stop the beating? Just a thought.
I remember watching some documentary segment ages ago. Maybe early ‘90s, maybe 60 Minutes. Something like that.
The issue was “child discipline” and the finding were that MODERATE punishment and reward were best. They watched people who did the NEW-FANGLED (emphasis since somehow we survived for eons without wishy-washy stuff) “time-out” kind of pure positive reinforcement (typical white people today), and those who beat the kids for every dumb thing (typical black ghetto stuff).
From this study both ends of the spectrum turned out pretty dismally. Continuing their bad behavior and everything.
Kids who were treated fairly and nicely but seriously and firmly did best, using all kinds of punishment and reward but never heavily.
Sorry, I do not remember any specifics. Just it made perfect sense to me.
Your post makes perfect sense to me. Thank Rebel
I agree with your comments about the physical nature of using a tree branch to hit a child. However, that makes it all the more incumbent on the assailant to be extraordinarily careful to limit the scope of the assault. Else, it is merely wanton cruelty.
It is clear that boy was stripped or nearly so when the tree branch was applied to him. If one is familiar with the action of a tree branch when using it to commit assault, and one is NOT trying to commit child abuse, one might have the child uncover only his rear end, rather than the entirely of his legs, arms, etc.
To fail to take these protective actions suggests that the punishment was meted out as an act of unthinking rage rather than a carefully-considered punishment of limited duration and harm. If this is the case, then Mr. Peterson is guilty of a form of child abuse that ranges more toward child endangerment, failing to provide a safe environment during the punishment.
If he was fully aware of the potential effects, and was NOT acting out of rage, but rather was engaged in a premeditated beating of a nearly-naked four year-old, that he had constructive knowledge that he would injure the boy across his entire body, including his genitalia, this suggests that perhaps Mr. Peterson is a hardened sadist who might be best served by a sufficiently-long prison sentence that he will not be released until the boy is old enough and strong enough to fight back when his father next assaults him.
Beating a four year-old pretty much across his entire body is not appropriate discipline. Sorry, but this just falls into the category of, "Things a Two-Hundred Lb-Plus Man Doesn't Do to a Four Year-Old."
sitetest
Failure to hit your children is not the same as lacking in firm, strict, and consistent discipline.
sitetest
I say failure to be *willing* to use the “hit” is indeed the same. (”Don’t think I won’t do it!”) I don’t have to now, I was hardly ever struck when a child myself, but I knew it could come. But it would be fair.
It’s like our foreign policy, which has become very “nice”. Look where it gets us. I prefer a co-worker who said after 9/11 “Operation Sea of Glass” to anything we actually did.
Speak softly and carry a big stick!
I agree with the general assessment of Peterson’s beating. But I must make a comment because we do not know the facts and should not make assumptions.
The boy apparently pushed his brother(?) off a video game (may have been the fancy full-size accessory kind of “ride”) which apparently was at home.
Thus, knowing some people, the boy very well could already have been half-naked on his own, along with the others. He didn’t necessarily strip the boy to do this. Sounded like he wanted the swift action I was talking about.
Just trying to stop the assumptions from spreading as fact, that’s all.
Just read this whole thread...
Somehow this turned into a debate into whether to spank or not.
Most kids don’t need it, others the threat is enough, some kids a little non painful whack on the butt is neccesary. As some have mentioned of their parents here, the fake whippings/threats were just as effective.
What really should have been the topic was this specific case of a 4 year old child and what’s appropriate. 4??? I would say generally a gentle swat to the butt is about as far as one would need to go.
After seeing those pictures how anyone can defend that punishment is beyond my comprehension. That is physical and mental abuse to a 4 year old, that kid will be lucky to not carry any mental scars.
Some of you need to talk to some 4 year olds today and then imagine whipping them hard enough until they bleed and leave scars and welts still visible almost a week later. If you still think that’s OK there’s something very, very, wrong with you.
There is no defending Adrian Petersen in this, he whipped that kid in anger, he has less control than the 4 year old. The only lesson he taught a 4 year old with that level of beating is that the world is a cruel, dangerous place and to fear his part time daddy.
I think what you’re seeing is the normal method of punishment...get mad, get a switch, and start swinging. The kid starts jumping around and the blows land randomly here and there.
I’m talking reality. This is what happens. This is how it falls out in so many cases.
It sounds to me like you’re looking at a side of life that you are unfamiliar with. I can see with so many how that would be the case, and especially with those 40 and younger.
But, Peterson is a product of a couple of different cultures with different methods and mores. And ‘gettin’ a switchin’ was part of what he grew up with (and part of what I grew up with.)
So, I’m cutting him some slack until I see something that is different than an angry parent whalin’ away at the kids.
If I recall correctly, it wasn’t the mother, but the doctor, that turned this in. If correct, how do you think that factors in? Was she protecting a meal ticket, was she trying to get someone else to do the reporting, or was she also accepting of it, if only marginally. (Or some other answer.)
So far as firm discipline not necessarily meaning corporal punishment, sure. But that’s a 2 way street. Firm discipline doesn’t necessarily mean no corporal punishment.
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