Baby slapping aboard flight sets off debate

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- America's latest folk-hero flight attendant may be the one on a Southwest Airlines jet who took a 13-month-old baby from her mother after the woman slapped the crying child for kicking her.

The flight attendant's actions, however, set off an intense debate: When and how should bystanders intervene?

"We live in such a 'mind your own business' and `I'll sue you for getting involved' society that I feel we're afraid to stand up sometimes for the right thing," said Jen Reynolds, 38, a stay-at-home mom to 15-year-old and 16-month-old boys in Sandwich, Ill....

Yes, that is different though from what this woman did. Teaching a child that something is different from slapping (or “popping” them, as the mother describes it)when they kick or cry.

I should have been more specific.

The flight attendant said she saw her strike the childs face. She also said she saw he hit the legs. She also said the father said they had fought about it before.

The paramedics who examined the child let the parents continue travelling with the child.

We only have the word of the flight attendant, which may very well be true. But that is all we have as the fact that this is what this woman did.

The resultant uproar was that one “never slaps a baby”.

I personally would have popped the baby’s bottom but not their face. Taking another child because I saw them “pop” them? Really depends on how hard they did so. I wouldn’t pop them like that.

Thanks JoeProBono.

America's latest folk-hero flight attendant may be the one on a Southwest Airlines jet who took a 13-month-old baby from her mother after the woman slapped the crying child for kicking her... "We live in such a 'mind your own business' and `I'll sue you for getting involved' society that I feel we're afraid to stand up sometimes for the right thing," said Jen Reynolds, 38, a stay-at-home mom to 15-year-old and 16-month-old boys in Sandwich, Ill...

Obviously the thing to do here is medicate the child, who has some kind of disorder that will qualify her for lifelong disability payments.

As I approach fogeyhood, I've found that I don't much care for the a-hole antics of undisciplined children, such as the whole family (two parents present with their four-under-five-years-old brood) who whined, yelled, screamed, and otherwise acted up their way through the gourmand grocery store during my visit last night. BTW, thanks again to ADemocratNoMore for recommending Graber Olives, I found 'em, and plan to use them as a birthday gift for one of the olive lovers in my family (on your say-so; I won't pay $8 a can for freakin' olives unless there was a carat emerald giveaway contest).

Brilliant solution to being kicked by a 1-year-old child, just slap him. Of course, that will stop his crying too. </sarc>

Good thing that the flight attendant took the child before the idiot mother shook him to death. What the heck is she trying to do, raise a sociopath?

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