Mom, 5-year-old girl in video fires lawyer, moving out of state

St. Petersburg Times ^ | April 26, 2005 | THOMAS C. TOBIN

[ariamne]

I saw a checkout girl once whose name was Sinsemilla.

Any guesses as to what mom and dad were smoking when she came to be?

[B4Ranch]

>>It is a shame they couldn't contact the mother before the police arrived.<<

They did and the mother refused to come to the school.

[fish hawk]

Boy, things have really changed. If that had been me acting up in school, my father would have left work and come down there and kicked my ass into shape pronto. No more problem from me.

[mickie]

I feel sorry for this poor child. She desperately needs parental guidance which it is clear that she isn't getting.

But the question remains.......how would you have removed her from the school into the awaiting police car, without her running away or punching out the officers?

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

...video images of the wailing kindergartener being handcuffed by St. Petersburg police have raced around the globe, airing and re-airing on television news shows in the United States, Great Britain, Spain, around Asia and beyond

I actually saw it on Italian TV (not that I speak Italian). The Italian news anchor said "een creh dee' beh leh!".

[Mercat]

The best intervention would be to take the child and hold her closely, keeping her arms and legs controlled with the adult's arms and hands. I've done this with my granddaughter who is 4 1/2. We call it a "holding time out." It's difficult to do. If either the teacher or the principal or the police officer had done it, there would also have been a huge outcry. The handcuffing was to protect the child as well as the adults involved. There were few choices. I do think that the three police officers could have surrounded her and talked with her for a while, deflecting her blows and limiting her range. After a while, she would have tired. It would have taken more time. Having said that, however, the knee jerk reaction of the mother and the media and now maybe the discrimination pimps, is much more abusive to this child than anything that the police did.

[fatnotlazy]

The best intervention would be to take the child and hold her closely, keeping her arms and legs controlled with the adult's arms and hands...

***

Unfortunately, in this litigous society we live in, the parent still might have sued, claiming this technique caused some physical harm to the child. I kinda get the feeling the folks at the school were afraid to touch her in any way for fear of such a lawsuit.

[sageb1]

You are exactly right. The child has now learned that her behavior is acceptable and that there will be no consequences.

If the mother had backed up the actions of the school and the cops, she would have learned an invaluable lession. Now all we'll hear about is how "the poor child has been traumatized for life."

If the "trauma" taught her that her behavior was completely unacceptable, the handcuffing could have changed the child's life for the good. I fear her mother won't allow that to happen.

[sageb1]

Only one of my children ever had a temper tantrum. My mom had come for lunch and one of my twin daughters, who was two at the time, threw a tantrum, complete with rolling on the floor, flailing her arms and feet. I was in shock as she'd never done this before. I was also embarrassed that she was doing it while my mother was visiting. My mom very calmly said to me, "Ignore her." It was very hard to do. But that's exactly what we did. Within a few short minutes, my daughter's tantrum ended and she never had another one. Her tantrum had not gotten her the attention she thought it would and she knew it was pointless to ever bother trying it again.

[Gone GF]

"Ja'eisha and Anfernee and the like are NOT names "of African origin."

Ummm, I never said they were.

"They are concocted by parents who want to make their children stand out."

So are we saying no new names can ever be concocted any more? Only already-established names are allowed? Or can you make up a new name only if it sounds more, let's say, "conventional?"

[najida]

My grandmother made up my father's name in the early 1920's. My mother's name was also a made-up name, from the 1930's.

Looking through my family genealogy, there are lots of names that are, well, unique. Some going back to our European roots-- Salome' being one of the most frequently used names.

Making up kids names is nothing new. Just some folks seem to take offense if the name isn't familiar (or boring) for that matter.

[iconoclast]

If you knew "white" america you would know that we veiw names such as Buffy and Biff as jokes

LOL.

A lady named Buffy picks up my grandchildren every morning to take them to school, and her husband's name is Jody!

[iconoclast]

Please tell me you didn't jump off the roof. PLEASE.

That would explain a lot! ;o)

[iconoclast]

I told her that'd never happen, 'cause I planned to do a better job raising them.

Dang! Six kids and I never had one quick enough to say that! ;o)

[soundandvision]

Same here and I fear I don't live up to half of the man he was..

[1Old Pro]

Al Sharpton would be coming to town. The famous New York crusader and one-time presidential candidate is intrigued and considering weighing in on the episode, his staff said.

Al was going to advise that if the Mom wants to make more money he would smear the girl with fecal matter and put her in a bag.

[cyborg]

Yeah it sure would :o)

[1Old Pro]

I suggest tha "mom" get the daughter back into school before they arrest and handcuff her for not enrolling a minor in school.

[Robert_Paulson2]

aisha tyler
http://www.askmen.com/women/models_150/161_aisha_tyler.html

ethnic names are apparently NOT a problem in some fields of endeavor.

http://www.tvtome.com/Moesha/

the idea that the name is the problem, posted by some here, is ridiculous to consider.

Now if the parent(s) named her 'rocko' or 'benjamin' I might think they were messing with her... but not jaisha or similar.

[iconoclast]

Salome?

Sorry, but your family didn't make that up, it's biblical.

If you didn't recognize that one, probably some of the others weren't "original" either.