Stranger slaps crying toddler in a Walmart

[annewandering]

Licking ice cream off a kids face? ick. That is disgusting to be honest. Did he never hear of fingers?

[Maya]

Licking ice cream off a kids face? ick. That is disgusting to be honest. Did he never hear of fingers?

His fingers were occupied in holding the icecream. Yes not the cleverest and most delicious thing to, do but I seen peole do it when kids make a mess. Actually it was a bit funny I think. Absolutely something a man would do, who dont thing the way women do. Women would in beforehand equip themselves with a lot of napkins!

But after this he has ALWAYS a napkin in his pocket. Problem is that there are so many men who cant think that someone could think that they would.... and so they do stupid things like that.

I tok a kid thowrds information in teh boat this summer as she was alone going diown a starecase... my DH told me to let the kid be and not to involve. I held myself a few feet from her and asked if she wanted to go to her mommy and she nodded and I told her to follow me... and she came after and after some 20 feet the mother was there with a baby and she run to her. I know how it is to loose a smal one on a boat. One of mine dissapeared from the playroom once. Anyway you cant wait for a tanks just some bad looks today.

[Moksha]

Licking ice cream off a kids face? ick. That is disgusting to be honest. Did he never hear of fingers?

The tried and true method of a mom spitting on a napkin then attempting to clean grime off a kid's face is a bit disgusting too, however, moms do no come with built-in wipes.

[NeuroTypical]

He spoke to her and tried to find out if she knew where her mother was, and as he was doing so, his mother appeared from around the corner, shot a disgusted and apprehensive look at him and quickly grabbed her child from in front of him and disappeared.

...

So, avoid the appearance of evil where possible.

I would have thought the moral to that lesson is "don't be unrighteously judgemental of others, or bald people with leather jackets might not want to help your kid if she needs help"...

It sort of pays to know a little something about how other demographics in your town act and look. Prejudicial assumptions that "people who look different are dangerous" are kinda goofy.

Other stories: a well-intentioned clueless person tried to help a homeless guy out, only to find out he wasn't homeless, he's a professional painter on his lunch break - of course his clothes were not clean.

My wife saw a co-worker give cigarettes to her 14-yr old kid (who was a real piece of work with all the piercings and extreme hair and insulting clothing). It turned out he was trying to clean up his life. The cigarettes were a step down from crack or meth (I forget), following the advice of his doctor on how to come down off serious addictions.

I really don't think "avoid the appearance of evil" means "shelter yourself and remain ignorant about people who look different than you".

LM

[Mahone]

It sort of pays to know a little something about how other demographics in your town act and look. Prejudicial assumptions that "people who look different are dangerous" are kinda goofy.

Maybe so, but unfortunately that is the case. People do judge those who are different, usually negatively. This is not something I can change.

The main point I was trying to get across is that he probably shouldn't have tried to help that girl, unless it was a lot more obviously that she needed help. He was putting himself into a position in which he could be easily be accused of doing something "evil" and the description of his appearance was to emphasis that and he fully aknowledged that it didn't help the situation. It's a sad fact that first impressions are extremely important. She might not have assumed he was up to no good had he been wearing a suit and tie for instance.

Avoid the appearance of evil means exactly that in my mind. And in todays world, doing anything with children is standing on dodgy ground - you have to be careful about how what you are doing comes across to other people.

Edited September 4, 2009 by Mahone

[pam]

There was a time in my life that crying, screaming children annoyed the heck out of me. Then I had three of my own. Now I can appreciate what other mothers' are going through.

[jadams_4040]

He would have been on the floor if it had been my child. But maybe we're being too hasty. The man was in his 60s, it may be he was taking medicine that affects impulse control or patience (my dad has a few of those ). Seriously, what kind of healthy person randomly smacks crying kids, especially in public?

How many people in this country are mentally healthy anymore?

[coloryoursoul]

WOW, ...... but I guess the truth is there are tons of crazy people in the world and we just gotts except that... well as long as it's not your child who got slapped just kinda shrugg it off and keep living your own life I gues... crazy people will be around always so there is not much to be done if he's on meds or possibly slightly metally ill?

[pam]

WOW, ...... but I guess the truth is there are tons of crazy people in the world and we just gotts except that... well as long as it's not your child who got slapped just kinda shrugg it off and keep living your own life I gues... crazy people will be around always so there is not much to be done if he's on meds or possibly slightly metally ill?

Let me make sure I'm understanding you as I very well could be misinterpreting what your meaning is.

So as long as it's not MY child being slapped around I should just accept it and shrug it off?

[Dravin]

Let me make sure I'm understanding you as I very well could be misinterpreting what your meaning is.

So as long as it's not MY child being slapped around I should just accept it and shrug it off?

To a degree you are. You have expressed discontent with the man's actions but ultimately you aren't making plans to hunt him down and visit violence upon his person (I hope not at least), so in a sense you are just shrugging and moving on (a more vocal and discontent type of shrugging) in a few weeks baring the story resurfacing you'll most likely have forgotten all about it and it and your disapproval of it will no longer have any discernible impact on your life. You'll have shrugged and moved on in a sense.

Though honestly I would have read her comments as sarcastic in nature and a voiced disapproval of not more people screaming for blood and that somebody would dare take something like mental illness/medication into account over how harshly they view the man's behavior during the event.

[Bini]

He crossed the line.

Having said that, parents don't parent anymore. I would never allow my child to whine and have tantrums in stores. They would be removed immediately because I won't tolerate that.

[pam]

To a degree you are. You have expressed discontent with the man's actions but ultimately you aren't making plans to hunt him down and visit violence upon his person (I hope not at least), so in a sense you are just shrugging and moving on (a more vocal and discontent type of shrugging) in a few weeks baring the story resurfacing you'll most likely have forgotten all about it and it and your disapproval of it will no longer have any discernible impact on your life. You'll have shrugged and moved on in a sense.

Though honestly I would have read her comments as sarcastic in nature and a voiced disapproval of not more people screaming for blood and that somebody would dare take something like mental illness/medication into account over how harshly they view the man's behavior during the event.

Actually I took the comments to mean that if I had seen something like this happen somewhere that I should just move on and not doing anything about it. Just shrug it off and say.."Hey it's not my kid."

But thanks for answering for her. hahaha

[bytebear]

Both people were wrong in their actions, but two wrongs don't make a right.

[MorningStar]

What I can't believe is that he managed to slap the child 4 or 5 times like the article states. If someone made a move to hurt my child in a Wal-Mart, they would need a clean-up on aisle 4 by the time I was through with him.

[dazed-and-confused]

the fact is, babies sometimes cry and act out.....O M G....what a revelation.

if i had been there and it was my child, pam, i'm with you.....that guy would be a smear on the floor.....and when questioned by the police, i would have them review the store's security monitors and simply say i was defendint the life of my child which i felt was in danger from a maniac.

[Gwen]

Both people were wrong in their actions, but two wrongs don't make a right.

i disagree (by both ppl i'm assuming you mean the man who hit the kid and the mother for letting the kid cry).

sometimes kids cry. sometimes it's cause they are fussy and you are doing the best you can to get home but they just won't be soothed. sometimes it's cause the kid is throwing a fit when the parents had the nerve to say no to them. a always give parents who are standing their ground to a fit approving looks. giving in to the child that is throwing a fit is wrong. it does a huge disservice to the child in the long run. i can handle listening to a crying child for a bit to be supportive of proper parenting.

[Mahone]

We don't know why he smacked the child. He clearly lost his temper, but again we don't know why. The media published this story in a way that it would get read i.e. make it sound as outrageous as possible. Anything could have happened to that man just before he smacked the child. While nothing could excuse what he did, it may at least explain it and show it in an alternative light. We all know how the media twist things and even downright lie sometimes in order to get themselves heard - we all need to remember this at times.

[RachelleDrew]

Screaming kids do get on my nerves. Babies don't bother me, it's not like they can help it. They cry. Children on the other hand tick me off. My son is not quite two yet, and he's learning that it isn't acceptable. I can only think of one time where I wasn't able to contain his tantrum, so I slung him over my shoulders and left the place. One guy actually started clapping for us as we left, and claimed "it's nice to see a parent who doesn't put up with it for once".

I think other parents are tolerant of fits to a degree, so long as the parent does the best they can to contain the nonsense. But it's infuriating when people let their kids scream like banshees for an hour, only to in to them anyway.

Slapping though? Oh good grief. I'd love it if someone twice his size and age took a few good whacks at him to see how he felt about it.

[Mahone]

Slapping though? Oh good grief. I'd love it if someone twice his size and age took a few good whacks at him to see how he felt about it.

A 12 foot 122 year old?

[Mahone]

How did this amount to first degree cruelty to children anyway? The only known "damage" to the child was a slight redness to the face. I would have said that was second degree, or even third degree. Again, while not defending his actions, he could have chosen to do something a lot worse but he didn't. When put in perspective, the child was slapped four times by a stranger. There are a lot worse things happening to children in the world.

[boyando]

How did this amount to first degree cruelty to children anyway? The only known "damage" to the child was a slight redness to the face. I would have said that was second degree, or even third degree. Again, while not defending his actions, he could have chosen to do something a lot worse but he didn't. When put in perspective, the child was slapped four times by a stranger. There are a lot worse things happening to children in the world.

I think because it happened in Walmart, there just might be a freedom of religion problem, seeing that so many people go to Walmart, religiously.

How can that child ever sit it's seat in a Walmart shopping cart (trolley to you folks across the pond) knowing that at any minute physical damage could happen on isle nine? Doesn't any one care about the children?

[RachelleDrew]

How did this amount to first degree cruelty to children anyway? The only known "damage" to the child was a slight redness to the face. I would have said that was second degree, or even third degree. Again, while not defending his actions, he could have chosen to do something a lot worse but he didn't. When put in perspective, the child was slapped four times by a stranger. There are a lot worse things happening to children in the world.

How could it NOT amount to first degree cruelty to children? He assaulted a child.

Just because the kid wasn't hurt, doesn't mean he couldn't have been. Maybe next time somebody gets hit by a drunk driver, but is lucky enough to not get hurt, they should just forget about charging the drunk driver. Since you know, it could have been worse and all.

[boyando]

How could it NOT amount to first degree cruelty to children? He assaulted a child.

Just because the kid wasn't hurt, doesn't mean he couldn't have been. Maybe next time somebody gets hit by a drunk driver, but is lucky enough to not get hurt, they should just forget about charging the drunk driver. Since you know, it could have been worse and all.

My daughter, when she was seventeen, was a victim of a hit and run. The officer who worked her case said that even if they caught the driver, because no one was hurt, the most the driver would get was an extra $75.00 fine. So in the eyes of the law, how badly a person is hurt, does effect the punishment.

And even though I think that it was completely an evil thing to do, to slap the child, I think it would have been a lot worse to do, as an example, take a ball point pen and stab it in the child's chest. Although that might have been more effective at quieting the child.

As a child, I was physically and emotionally abused. And though I should be chastised for telling callus jokes, like the one above, I can not put slapping a child on the same level as being hit on the side of the head with a cresent wrench.

Or maybe I just hate Walmart.

[Gwen]

i think the lady should sue walmart for letting impulsive ppl with anger management issues in the store and thus putting her daughter at risk to begin with. that would solve everything.

or....

maybe he should sue walmart for letting small kids in the store that could annoy him to the point of having no self control... little kids shouldn't be going to the store anyway. if walmart had done their job he wouldn't have lost control and now have the emotional damages of getting prosecuted for hitting a 2 yr old.

[pam]

How did this amount to first degree cruelty to children anyway? The only known "damage" to the child was a slight redness to the face. I would have said that was second degree, or even third degree. Again, while not defending his actions, he could have chosen to do something a lot worse but he didn't. When put in perspective, the child was slapped four times by a stranger. There are a lot worse things happening to children in the world.

No disrespect but this kind of thought process angers me. How can you say the only "damage" to the child was a slight redness to the face. How could you even know of any psychological damage that might have occurred?

To say it could have been worse is true..but should this have happened in the first place? Seriously..NO ONE has the right to slap child like he did.