<p>Peterson’s defense, apparently, is that he doesn’t believe he did anything wrong. If he thought he had done something wrong, he says, he wouldn’t have sent the bruised and bloodied boy back to his mother. He loves his son, and wants to teach him better behavior.</p>
<p>I believe him. I think he does think leaving a four year old bruised and bloodied is an appropriate form of discipline. Unfortunately for him, a large part of the rest of the country disagrees. Most of us think beating a child in this way is child abuse meriting criminal penalties. </p>
<p>Fang, not only did he send his bruised and bloodied child back to his mother, he sent him back knowing the boy had a doctor appointment the next day. Unbelievable.</p>
<p>It’s completely consistent with his crazy belief that leaving a little child bruised and bloody is appropriate parental discipline.</p>
<p>Moreover, I regret to say that I’ve read more than one Internet comment from people who believe that punching a woman you love unconscious is appropriate behavior if she spits on you or otherwise angers you. She gets what she deserves, they say.</p>
<p>These are people who are far distant from what I believe.</p>
<p>I was just thinking about this today. Security staff at Revel say he spit on her prior to getting on the elevator. I can not imagine my wife staying married to me if I ever spit on her let alone hit her.</p>
<p>“According to police reports, the child, however, had a slightly different story, telling authorities that “Daddy Peterson hit me on my face.” The child also expressed worry that Peterson would punch him in the face if the child reported the incident to authorities. He also said that he had been hit by a belt and that “there are a lot of belts in Daddy’s closet.” He added that Peterson put leaves in his mouth when he was being hit with the switch while his pants were down. The child told his mother that Peterson “likes belts and switches” and “has a whooping room.””</p>
<p>Peterson admitted hitting the child on his bare skin and admitted to the police and in a text message to the child’s mother that he’d hurt the kid’s scrotum. An excerpt from CBS: Peterson texted “he “felt bad after the fact when I notice the switch was wrapping around hitting I (sic) thigh” and also acknowledged the injury to the child’s scrotum in a text message, saying, “Got him in nuts once I noticed. But I felt so bad, n I’m all tearing that butt up when needed! I start putting them in timeout. N save the whooping for needed memories!””</p>
<p>The child was examined in Minnesota and the doctor referred the case to the police and it was referred to Texas. It was then shifted from Houston to Montgomery County, which is north of the city. I mention that because, as I’ve mentioned, he was indicted by a Southern grand jury not a Northern one. </p>
<p>Many, many, many, many people are abused by parents who think a beating is good discipline. To say “this is a spanking” would excuse a significant portion of the child abuse that happens. That’s why he’s going to trial (or to a plea bargain). </p>
<p>As a note, Peterson’s wiki page includes an entire paragraph about his devotion as a Christian. </p>
<p>hayden I would not be surprised if AP was treated in a similar manner as a child and thinks what he did was proper. I do not like it at all but I believe based on the first Grand jury not indicting others see it that way also.</p>
<p>I wasn’t making an editorial comment about whether or not the indictment was appropriate. I’m torn. Some of these players just don’t seem to know how to be a parent or a husband. I know I’m sounding like a wuss, but I think we might be better off if we had intervention before we criminalize what amounts to a bad upbringing. And this applies to anyone, athlete or not. </p>
<p>I remember having our S’s Boy Scout den at out house, and one of the kids slugged another one. I knew this kid’s father, and he had a terrible reputation. Instead of yelling at him, I comforted the kid he hit, then put my arm around the kid and told him that no one ever hits anyone in our house, that everyone who was in our house has a right to feel safe, and I expected him to act the same way. He looked at me like I was crazy. So sad. </p>
<p>Criminal punishment is a form of intervention. Whether there is some other less harsh but as effective intervention, I don’t know. I suspect the mother will seek to change visitation and maybe social services will also get involved. What else is there?</p>
<p>Maybe its from the culture I come from (not African American, but Nigerian) but this is okay. It’s not that uncommon if you acted up and the village found out, elders would whoop you. That’s just how I was raised and you can’t really change the way you’ve been grown up. Kids need disipline. My culture diciplines one way, another culture another. But I will agree and say that the bruises were excessive. I hadn’t seen the pictures before. Classic spankings? Fine. Using a switch? Fine. But the lacerations? No. I know many of you will respond and say any spanking is bad, but… That’s how I was raised. That’s how my brothers and sisters were raised. And that’s how my parents were raised. To me, it was weird hearing my friends say that they don’t get spanked, only grounded. Different cultures, and each can be effective in its own right.</p>
<p>Now for a quick detour: I’ve got the Texans today. Like I will all year round. Sorry any Raiders fans out there. Also, the bears and 49ers Sunday night game feels weird to me. I don’t really know why, it just feel strange and foreign. Does any else get this feeling?</p>
<p>It’s not clear to me that a Grand Jury heard the evidence and chose not to indict. As I read the reporting, it was referred to authorities in MN who referred it to Houston. It was investigated in Houston but then determined it should be addressed in Montgomery County. That may be why a first Grand Jury no-billed and the Montgomery County Grand Jury indicted.</p>
<p>I thank the stars that people exist that are able to break the mold of “well, it’s how I was raised, so it must be fine.” </p>
<p>If we didn’t, wife abuse would still be legal, women and children would still be property without rights, burning “witches” would still be accepted, the list goes on. </p>
<p>I don’t know where the line is of “AP needs to be educated” and “AP needs to be punished.” I truly don’t think he thought he was doing anything wrong, and that terrifies me for his child(ren)'s future. </p>
<p>That’s why the whole “southern” argument bothers me. The idea that because something is part of the culture then it is OK. No. It helps us understand why it happened but can’t be used as a justification. </p>
<p>He went too far and let’s leave culture out of it since it only muddies the waters. </p>
<p>But if the egregious behavior is rooted in the actor’s culture (which Peterson seems to be saying, as a defense), then those unacceptable aspects of that culture must be discussed and revealed to similar actors. It must be made clear that their actions harmful and should not continue. We can’t avoid the tough questions. We can’t take the easy way out. Years ago in Atlanta people spoke up against the practices of a church that preached regular and severe beatings of children. Thank goodness people asked questions and didn’t defer their own concern just because the pastor and parishoner’s culture said it was ok to punish children so harshly. <a href=“Pastor Accused of Child Beatings - ABC News”>http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=93772</a></p>
<p>Well, just because he is saying it in his defense doesn’t come close to making it true. If his parents were bank robbers would his bank robbing be more acceptable? Of course not. This argument is silly. </p>