Roger Stephens-The FRIEND's Salute you...Mostly...
From the Associated Press:
STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. — Police say a 61-year-old man annoyed with a crying 2-year-old girl at a Walmart slapped the child several times after warning the toddler's mother, Sonya Mathews, to keep her quiet.Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
A police report says after the stranger hit the girl at least four times, he said: "See, I told you I would shut her up."
Roger Stephens of Stone Mountain is charged with felony cruelty to children. It was unclear if he had an attorney and a telephone call to his home Wednesday was unanswered.
Authorities say the girl and her mother were shopping Monday when the toddler began crying. The police report says Stephens approached the mother and said, "If you don't shut that baby up, I will shut her up for you."
Authorities say after Stephens slapped the girl, she began screaming.
Roger Stephens, I know that sometimes the urge to strike peoples children passes ones mind. I have on numerous occasions felt the urge to trip them as their in attentive inept parents act like they are on vacation just because they are in public. but no matter how many times they are running around like uncontrolled and untrained simians in a public place you must NEVER ever EVER strike a child that is not yours. Your anger is better placed on the adult in question, they should have the common sense to remove the child to another place.
Reminds me of a time when i was in a pizzeria as a 20 something year old man and i was sitting down, so this 14- 16 year old girl comes up with her father and her friend/sister. her dad walks away to order the food and she huffs and says to me " god no one taught you manners why don't you let a lady sit down" my response was the following " listen little girl if i saw a fucking lady standing here then i would get up, how about you follow some advise and not talk to strangers before something bad happens to you. she then yells and tells her dad, he walks up and is pissed at me swearing at his daughter. i tell him that children and adults get sworn at by me if they talk to me disrespectfully, how about he work on his daughters attitude and the fact she had no problem talking to a strange man. i told him i could be a manic "you never know" he gave me the 0_o look and walked to sit down at the other end of the restaurant.
so the lesson here is don't be like me and Mr Stephens be better than us.
Mr. Superstar
Roger Stephens-you are my new Hero! Go Mr.Stephens GO!
I spent many an unpleasant, shopping, eating, flying experience amongst inept and permissive parents.I have seen children slap, punch and stab their parents with forks in addition to screaming bloody murder the whole time. I know they hear and feel that ish! Proverbs 22:6" Train a child in the way he should go,and when he is old he will not turn from it."
I hate when "parents" put me in the position of having to discipline their child.I don't think they really understand what that entails!!They want someone else to be the "bad" guy. I don't agree with him slapping a child he doesn't know that was harsh,but I understand.
A.J.
Mr. Stephens AND Mommy,
Thank you, Mr. Stephens, for doing what I know many people have wanted to do all the time! What stops most of us from acting on our impulses, however, is our awareness that such actions have consequences, which you are finding out first hand. While I'm sure my amusement at this situation will get some people fired up (I know, I know, don't hit kids and crap), there are several important reminders for us all.
Parents, please control your children. I know you're sometimes at your wit's end and you're doing the best you can, but your problems should not also have to be problems for other customers. Granted, Wal-mart is not a store I expect to be childfree, so as irritating as little Bratly is, that's just part of discount shopping. At nicer stores, restaurants, movie theaters, etc., however, please remember that only you think your kid is cute enough to justify disrupting people's quality of life and enjoyment. Please be considerate. If I didn't get you pregnant I shouldn't have to deal with your drama. And for those who say kids cry, run around, act out, etc., I say if you can't handle your child then don't bring him out in public! That's your parenting problem, not mine! And something that just irks the crap outta me...don't put your kids on leashes! Kiddie harnesses with an elephant or puppy or tiger covering the straps are still harnesses! If you can't control your kid without a leash, either:
a) he needs to stay at home
b) he needs medication
c) you need parenting classes (see Moni for further assistance), or
d) all of the above.
And Mr. Stephens, stop slapping other people's kids, no matter how much you want to!
She
As a mother, I'm not sure you can imagine what I felt when I read this article.
PURE FREAKING COMEDY!
Listen, Roger Stephens only did what a lot of us WANT to do when that mom is in the store whispering to her child that they are going to go into time out while they yell, kick, scream and make a damn fool of themselves. To all the moms-if you disciplined your child at HOME they would listen when you do it when you are away! Don't look at me and smile and think that because I am a mom I understand. I DON'T. I don't understand why you think that I think it's okay that you don't discipline your child. If your child is crying-give that brat something to cry about! I guarantee you that people are NOT sympathetic to your bad kid, and we don't think that he/she is cute enough to act that way. BUT, pop the kid on the butt or upside the head-and we will be no more bothered. That I promise you.
Mr. Stephens, I think we have similar ideals here. It takes a village to raise a child. Indeed. I believe in whooping other people's children. I often tell people that if they don't whoop their children, don't bring them to me. I don't negotiate with children, and the only time out I believe in is the five minutes you need to recuperate from the butt whoopin' that was just given. I don't offer peace offering, I don't and never tried to talk my child down-he knew the deal. We will talk in SIGN LANGUAGE. My hands to your butt!
Now Mr. Stephens, while I have REPRIMANDED a small child-I have never laid hands on a child I don't know. It's 2009-you knew you were going to jail for that right? There are many blogs and people saying the child will be "emotionally scarred". Well, only because the child hasn't been getting a good whooping when warranted!
Mr. Stephens, I commend you for kind of trying to take it up with the mother-but that's where it should have stayed. Because at the end of the day-she's the one that really needs to be slapped.
For example, my son was getting bitten as a young child at day care. Can I go in and BITE the child biting him? NO. However, I told the mother that if her daughter continued to bite my child daily, I was going to wait for her and whoop her tail daily, and when she got tired of me whooping her tail-she would teach her daughter not to bite.
Mr. Stephens, it's rarely the fault of the child, but the fault of the person raising the child.
Even still, I applaud you!!
Moni
Okay, maybe I come from a different generation, but I remember my mom more or less giving permission to every mother on the block to whip my ass if I was acting a fool, and then catching the bad one from her if it ever happened... it was like chain whoopin' going on. Nowadays, parents are scared to beat their own kids if they act a fool. So I say, congratulations Mr Stephens, for taking us back to the parenting ethics of the early 80's...
On another note... you really should have smacked the parent instead of the child, as the child only does what the parent permits, and somehow, the parent seems to think that a child acting a "Pure-tee FOOL" is cute. Police need to have some kind of ticket they can give for unruly children. Shoot... that might turn around the recession and government shortfall right there!
You hear me Obama?! That's how you pay for your Healthcare reform... Give out tickets for poor parenting!
Metaphyzxx
Well, The Friends have some different viewpoints here. Was Roger Stephens wrong for slapping that child? Should he go to jail? Who is at fault here? How would you feel if in this situation? Is it a standing ovation for Mr. Stephens or a GO DIRECTLY TO JAIL card for the accused?
Let us know what you think in the comments.
Mr. Roger Stephens...THE FRIENDS have spoken, and
YOU HAVE BEEN TOLD
Posts
2 comments:
Metaphyzxx,
I have to concur. If ANYBODY WORLDWIDE ever, EVER sees my son acting a fool. Whoop his tail and then call me so I can prepare my own butt-whoopin.
Documented and published for ALL the world to see!
Moni
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