BeerBorg

So Adrian Peterson has been indicted and arrested for child abuse. And, with the NFL reeling still from the Ray Rice vs fiance boxing match video, I don't hold out a lot of hope for AP to come out unscathed.

But what is it that he actually did?

He spanked his four year-old son. For what, no one is saying.

Yeah. He spanked him with a "stick". (some sites have used the term "tree branch") But where I come from - both in time and geographically - we called it a "switch". (And we had to go out and cut it ourselves. Along with the instructions, "It had better be a stout one!" (To be honest, it only happened to me once. I was a quick learner. )) And that switch left some welts. Some of them pretty good (bad) ones. But if I'd be willing to bet that boy isn't going to be needing another whipping for what it was he received this one for.

Now this was the same way AP was punished when he was a child. And looked how terribly it effected his life.

Yes. This is a new and different time. Parents today are suppose to be more "enlightened" and corporal punishment on children is no longer acceptable. And just look at how well that philosophy is working out on today's youth; Gang shootings, drive-by shootings, school shootings...I could go on and on.

It might take a whole village to raise a child but some one from that village has to step up and teach that child right from wrong. And if the rest of the village doesn't like the way the lesson is administered then they can just live with the consequences when that child turns out to be just another useless thug out on the street.

I can't comment on GODhell because of what he did to the Saints. Though I felt we did some unusual things, we did what many teams did and still do and I think GODhell should get the same punishment Sean Payton got.
I don't know all the circumstances but I just know in this politically correct world, you pay full price for even the smallest misjudgement in life.

I admit I don't know any of the particulars but I do see what some are calling the United States of HYSTERIA happening. I blame it some on the 24 hr news that MUST find something to keep advertisers happy. And the fact that we have so much social media instantly makes it hit more people faster.
While I do feel that hitting a 4 y/o with a switch until he bleeds may take it overboard, I do believe in spanking children, but that makes me not only a dinosaur but a relic. I guess I'm just old and out of touch but the constant, ever present whining of this country is wearing me down.

A reading of the details indicates much more than a spanking...

http://houston.cbslocal.com/2014/09/12/ ... t-charges/

The beating allegedly resulted in numerous injuries to the child, including cuts and bruises to the child’s back, buttocks, ankles, legs and scrotum, along with defensive wounds to the child’s hands. Peterson then texted the boy’s mother, saying that one wound in particular would make her “mad at me about his leg. I got kinda good wit the tail end of the switch.”

Well then, he deserves more than missing a football game.
Aren't there questions about the child being beat by someone else?

Uh oh!

I stepped in it again.

Yes. By what I have now read Peterson went waaaaayyyy too far with the spanking. I still believe in the adage, "spare the rod and spoil the child" but what AP did was too much. Way, way WAAAAAAYYY too much! And it sounds like this may be a habit for him.

It's really too bad too. I had a GREAT deal of respect for the man. Not so much any more.

You hit the nail on the head. There is nothing wrong with a kid getting a paddling. I have had my share. Since he did what he did he should get the same treatment.

I'm not exactly against a disciplinary swat on the hinder, but only for the most egregious of bad behaviors, and not multiple swats. If you reserve such punishment for the rare times, rather than every disciplinary action, it carries more weight, and will be remembered more readily.

Also (not to hijack the thread, but this has bothered me for some time), what exactly does the Biblical injunction "He that spares the rod spoils the child" actually mean? Where else is "the rod" mentioned in the Bible? Oh, yeah, the 23rd Psalm. "His rod and his staff, they comfort me."

I don't think David was saying he digs getting whacked by God, either physically or spiritually. This is a reference to the tools of a shepherd, which David was, and to which he is comparing his Heavenly Father. Shepherds didn't go around bopping their sheep with sticks. These things were used to gently guide the sheep from a distance; to keep them from going astray. That's why it's a comfort; because someone wiser than you and who cares for you is guiding you with a gentle nudge.

Discipline needn't be harsh or painful. It's become a dirty word, when all it means is following a set pathway. We discipline ourselves to brush our teeth and take our vitamins and get to work on time, and do our work diligently, don't we? Discipline is what good, mature people use to make their lives better and more productive. An adult using discipline on a child (or not "sparing the rod" of firm, consistent guidance) should be a comfort to the child, so they know their limits, and learn what is best for them, enabling them to make the better choices on their own, eventually.

Okay, I'll get down off my own soapbox.

I'm a firm believer in spoil the rod, spoil the child. And believe me, no way in heck was I spoiled growing up. BUT, there is a difference in disciplinary spanking and downright beating a child. IF it comes to light that he was beating this child, as much as I believe he is a great player, he should be fired and banned from NFL. Rice earned his suspension/firing for knocking out a woman, albeit only as a reaction from NFL at the publicity but none the less, he earned it. AP does have a bad past, remember last year?

Part of the problem would be a Pro Football Player dealing out punishment to a small child in the first place. Unless they really know how to "pull back" on their strength the chance for more severe injuries than intended are pretty high. Also four seems pretty young for any sort of real "switch" treatment.

Just about any adult (barring severe physical disabilities) is going to be stronger than just about any child under the age of 10. Being a football player doesn't really enter into it, IMO. If an adult is in a position to be responsible and administer discipline to a child, that adult has a responsibility to do it in a manner that will not harm the child.

One smack on the tuchus with an open hand is not the same as whaling with a switch on someone who weighs 1/10 what you weigh.

The_Professor wrote:Part of the problem would be a Pro Football Player dealing out punishment to a small child in the first place. Unless they really know how to "pull back" on their strength the chance for more severe injuries than intended are pretty high. Also four seems pretty young for any sort of real "switch" treatment.

The problem with young children like that is you cant reason or debate things with them, so you need some sort of discipline to get the message through. I had my share of paddlings - including in grade school (OMG!!!) - and that doesnt mean you have to go to town. Looking back, it was actually more humiliating getting the paddling than it was painful. Of course, too many people go overboard, but it is crazy that you cant swat your kid on the behind when he is running around at McDonalds squirting ketchup on people lest CPS come after you.

Interesting take here:
http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikin ... page=1&c=y

This is disgusting on the end of The Vikings. Shows you how you get preferential treatment for being good at what you do. Would be good if people boycotted the game for this reason and booed him every time he touched the ball, even if he scores a touchdown.

DaYooper wrote:

The_Professor wrote:Part of the problem would be a Pro Football Player dealing out punishment to a small child in the first place. Unless they really know how to "pull back" on their strength the chance for more severe injuries than intended are pretty high. Also four seems pretty young for any sort of real "switch" treatment.

The problem with young children like that is you cant reason or debate things with them, so you need some sort of discipline to get the message through. I had my share of paddlings - including in grade school (OMG!!!) - and that doesnt mean you have to go to town. Looking back, it was actually more humiliating getting the paddling than it was painful. Of course, too many people go overboard, but it is crazy that you cant swat your kid on the behind when he is running around at McDonalds squirting ketchup on people lest CPS come after you.

Is that not the truth. The embarrassment was the worst part. It did not matter why you had to go to the principal's office. Every one thought you got a paddling