Mother to surrender in videotaped beating of girl
Posted on 09/21/2002 4:36:25 AM PDT by MeekOneGOP
Mother to surrender in videotaped beating of girl
09/21/2002
MISHAWAKA, Ind. - A woman seen on a department store security tape punching her 4-year-old daughter plans to surrender Saturday, her attorney said Friday night.
Police have been searching for Madelyne Gorman Toogood since Sept. 13, when a camera in a department store parking lot videotaped her punching and shaking her 4-year-old daughter.
The attorney, Stephen Rosen, said Ms. Toogood is on her way to Chicago and will surrender. She is charged with felony battery to a child.
Indiana police took the search nationwide Wednesday when they released the tape. "We want to get the girl the medical attention she needs," Police Chief Anthony A. Hazen said. "We want to get her to an emergency room and let them examine her."
Ms. Toogood is also wanted in Texas on at least two warrants. Fort Worth police said one warrant involves a shoplifting charge in March. Authorities in White Settlement, a Fort Worth suburb, issued an arrest warrant on an unspecified Class C misdemeanor.
Ms. Gorman's sister, 31-year-old Margaret Daley, who authorities say was present at the time of the incident, was arrested and charged with failure to report child abuse.
Police received more than 1,000 calls about the video, which was first aired Wednesday night.
Staff writer Laurie Fox contributed to this report.
I'm willing to admit that once I see the full video.
Ronaldus Magnus: See post #232. That link will allow you to view if you have Windows Media or Quick Time if you don't want to download RealOnePlayer.
I believe you.
I just hope A Vast RightWing Conspirator (and others) will do so as well.
Which do you think most likely:
That a majority of the members of largest government leery, Constitution loving, individual rights supporting, laissez faire promoting conservative website in the USA have suddenly become "nanny state" liberals...
Or
That that women beat her child mercilessly??
This implies, in the vein of the "When did you stop beating your wife" question, that I am somehow less interesting in the well being of a young girl than I am about the false security of cameras.
There are many things I would be unwilling to accept that could potentially reduce the number of kidnappings, rapes and child abuse.
I'm certainly trying to demonstrate this in the extreme, and no, I don't think parking lot cameras at Walmart destroy all my liberty, but they do deteriorate it some, and one can be opposed to them and still be saddened by child abuse.
Whoops!
You posted that while I was writing my last missive to you.
PS.....I knew I could count on you. : )
I really, really admire your post.
No, you're hopelessly obsessed with some zealot's vision of government and what you believe are its failings, and you view every aspect of life through this warped lens. I doubt that you could order soup at a diner without finding some reason to launch into a interminable tirade excoriating state interference in the cooking and sale of soup.
The woman caught in adultery is actually a very poor analogy, perhaps worse than your original 'Barabbas' analogy. The woman in that story was facing a very real stoning at the hands of very real vigilantes operating outside the (Roman) law. The story has nothing to say about withholding personal judgment of evil--let alone prohibiting state judgment of violation of its laws. Rather, it is a stern warning against the arbitrary execution of judgment by private means. People (usually libertarians attempting to justify personal perversions) read that gross lie into it, but the truth is we are commanded to discern evil and assiduously avoid it--not wink at it in some misguided belief we are being "more tolerant than thou."
That you are apparently unable to discern your own insufferable self-righteousness in this matter is interesting, but hardly surprising. It is a behavior trait commonly found among many so-called Christian libertarians.
As for me, I will stand up for the right of the child to be free from vicious abuse even at the hands of her own mother.
One was in a parking lot. A little girl about 5 y/o was crying hysterically as the father slapped her repeatedly, while the mother and other kids watched. The other kids were pleading with him to stop. They locked the kids in the car and walked into the store with me following. I didn't know what it was all about, but I did see the vicious slap attack and hear all the kids crying and pleading.
When I got in the store I announced to the whole front of the store that someone was to call the police NOW. Then I proceded to descibe to the whole store what I just saw. The parents were very meek denying everything. They tried to leave, but I stood in the way. The cops showed up fast and took over. When I was done shopping I was told , by the cops they were wanted in UTAH for something.
16 y/o girl was attacked in a WI drivers's lic. facility. The reason, she failed her dl test and the old man claimed she was a wimp and should demand they issue the licence. The citizens all backed off to the far corners of the room, the dl facility workers disappeared into their offices. I was amazed, no cops were called. So, in a loud voice so even the ones that ran off to hide could hear, I told the fat slob to back off, then talked to the girl, I gave her my card and made sure the whole place heard my threat to hunt the fat guy down if he ever laid into the girl again. That was before WI's child abuse laws. The cops never showed, which means they were never called. I talked to the girl later, 'cause I got her number. The abuse ended.
Aother similar case is ongoing, so no details, except one of the things the fat guy did was to throw the 8-9y/o kid out of a moving car, because the kid said he didn't want to go with his dad. I wonder why?
Another grocery store...fat woman sends ~7y/o sailing across the front with one backhand for asking a question. Woman runs over and starts pummeling the kid. I got in her face, then some other customers backed me. The woman's neighbors took my card.
I'm a Dog soldier at a rendezvous:
4 years ago, 6 y/o being slapped around by daddy for touching food he wasn't supposed to. I had to run over and intervene, because it was a beating. Wife shows up and takes over to give the fat boy whatfor.
2nd incident as Dog soldier. Father starts beating 10y/o with club. Almost kills him with first hit. Immediate intervention. Large crowd gathers to rip father to shreds. Police called. Convicted. Father gets min. 2 years.
Those are just the crimes by parents I intervened in.
"It's none of your business when a parent disciplines their child."
If I see something, or hear screams, I investigate. If there's a kid in trouble, I'll stop it.
"Third thing to note: if one of you should happen to brazenly stick your nose into my business, then you would soon after be having your nose set in the local emergency room!
If there's a kid in trouble, I'll step in to help him.
As will I. In a heartbeat.
Come to think of it, I believe that is what Jesus Christ did (i.e., intervene) when he came upon a group of men about to stone an adultress. I suppose if he had had a libertarian among his disciples, he might have been advised, "It's none of our business, Master. The light is poor, and from this distance it could be that the men are just trying to scare flies away from the woman with some well-aimed stones. Better that we just get on with our own business and leave it to God to determine the hearts and intentions of these men. 'Judge not lest ye be judged', remember?"
Blood is thicker than water? Perhaps, but an adult who is slamming their fists into a child should not be left alone to exercise their preferred method of 'discipline'.
The example I used of my friend's intervention wasn't for spanking, it was for beating a kid with fists in a truck where there was no exit.
Spank, yell, throw a fit at the child, no problem. The reason for my post was to reveal that there are those among us who upon seeing physical abuse of a child may go into a blind rage and attack the attacker, a broken nose being the least of their worries. Thankfully, my friend left the scene before the law arrived and, that no cameras were there or else he'd have surely been arrested for assualt.
And what was in the mother's mind was irrelevant. You seem to think that a parent should have a blank check to do whatever he or she pleases or thinks is necessary in a situation like this. That would work if this was a perfect world, but as you say it is an imperfect world. And unfortunately, it doesn't take brains to spawn a child, and too many people think the only means of discipline is physical discipline. There are folks out there who have children who don't have any business having children. And I know it invites a slippery slope of "big brother" watching over people's shoulders and trying to tell people how to parent their children ... but if by any rational standard a person is abusing a child, then it's time for somebody to step in whether it's government or not.
And I misstated my opinion in my response to you, would like to correct that. I said if government "regulation" was needed ... my intent was government "intervention," big difference. Lord knows we have enough government regulations.
Bottom line, who cares if a jillion other beatings like this are going on in this country at this very second? Does that mean we should just say, "Hey, that's the way it is, whatever happens happens, we're not in this parent's shoes and because we're sitting here absolutely quaking in our shoes about big brother and government and the police getting involved, we should do nothing." I think it's providence that this one was caught on tape, because the proper people can do something about this one. Should we run from small battles if they're worthwhile?
First..........are you a parent? Simple question.
Second.........do you know the difference between paddling or swatting a behind and what you saw on that video?
Third..........seriously asking: Is your eyesight all that it should be?
Fourth.........do you ever, ever envision a situation where a toddler needs that kind of out-and-out beating, especially to the head? (including violent hair pulling........oh, you missed that part, too?)
Fifth.......... I contend that if you aren't a parent, don't become one. If you see nothing sick and disgustingly, stomach-churningly wrong with what that bitch was doing to that baby in that vehicle, you shouldn't be trusted around children, especially young children.
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