[JoeProBono]

This undated booking photo provided Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009 by the Gwinnett County Sheriff in Stone Mountain, Ga. shows Roger Stephens. Police say a 61-year-old man annoyed with a crying 2-year-old girl at a Wal-Mart slapped the toddler in the face several times. (AP Photo/Gwinnett County Sheriff)

[SWAMPSNIPER]

It could have been a reflex action. Did the kid shut up?

[Hodar]

Silly man; doesn’t he realize that only elected officials get to tell people to shut up?

[taxcontrol]

A stranger slaps my kid in a store is going to be very lucky to get a second swipe and shame on me if he is alive to swing the third time.

[IronJack]

They would have to identify this guy’s remains from dental records if he’d laid a hand on my child.

[GI Joe Fan]

Meh, too many spoiled brats out there these days.

Mr. Stephens is clearly of the same mentality as General George S. Patton, but it is the damn democrats and other wimps that are creating such a weak society for America.

No, I don't applaud the police for arresting Mr. Stephens. Many kids (NOTE I DID NOT SAY ALL OF THEM) are totally wild and undisciplined today, and need a spanking every now and again.

[Pharmboy]

Hey Joe...lotsa stuff on this subject already...check it out

[pgkdan]

As my dear sweet mother used to say, “You want to cry? I’ll give you something to cry about”! But any stranger who would have dared to lay a hand on one of her kids would have been a dead man!

[Vaduz]

Any man who hates kids and animals can’t be all bad.

[MountainWoman]

i would have ripped this guys arm off and beat him with it if he touched my son...

look, i totally believe in discipline and i spank my son when he deserves it...but isn’t it interesting that in the state of AZ, you can be ARRESTED for spanking your child in public??? how are we supposed to discipline our children when some tool can call the cops on you??? it’s BULLS**T.

[Cyber Liberty]

I’ve never been known to slap other peoples’ kids, but Mrs. Liberty and I have been known to sometimes openly applaud people who exercise the necessary discipline on some cherubs....

[Constitutions Grandchild]

Read the story, too few details as to how long the toddler had been stretching his/her vocal cords to hit C above high C or whether the mother was stuck in a check out lane and couldn’t make a quick exist to take the child home, but in any event I stress the old maxim: “Your ability to swing your arm, ends at my nose.” Truly never had a problem with my son, could take him anywhere and he’d charm the birds out of the trees, always traveled with hubby or family member who could, in a meltdown, take him out to the car but he honestly never had one.

HOWEVER, had I been unable to have him home by nap time for some inexplicable reason and had I been alone, IF ANYONE HAD TRIED TO PLACE A FINGER ON HIM it would not have been a pretty sight. It would have been very, very ugly and charges would have been pressed just as soon as the person who assaulted my child received all the medical attention he needed.

[ontap]

He’s probably going to go away for a while!!!

[jkeith3213]

While I cannot say that I haven’t wanted to discipline someone stranger’s child who refused to carry out their parental duty, I would not do it.

I would not tolerate any stranger doing it to one of my children, so it is only right to follow the golden rule.

However, as someone else said, the parent should have done what was right, but what do we expect now days?

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

DON'T HIT MY KID!!!