We've heard other people's kids when they are whining, throwing tantrums, screaming in the store. Somehow, it's even more irritating to us than our own kid's whining. We move away, we roll our eyes, we share knowing glances with the store clerk, we stare down the mother in attempt to tell her telepathically, "control your bad kid!" and we are thankful that it's not our child on that particular afternoon.
But, no matter how unnerved we are, we would never, ever, in this lifetime, or the next, think of slapping another person's screaming kid. There's a mother in Atlanta, however, who experienced just that, when her 2 year old daughter was screaming in Walmart. A 61 year old stranger came up and told the mom, "shut your kid up, or I will," and proceded to slap the 2 year old repeatedly.
I know. Let that sink in for a moment.
Traumatizing is an understatement, for both the little girl and her mother. I'm trying to put myself in that mom's place, and the protective mechanism in my brain simply won't let me. I can't go there. I start to get dizzy when I try to visualize it happening to my child. Is it possible to puke, pass out, scream, cry, and decapitate someone all at the same time? If so, then I imagine that's what I would do.
But, this I know for sure: if it did happen to my daughter, and the man was arrested, and we knew when his arraignment was, I would NOT be able to hold my husband back. All glorious 6 feet 4 inches of my husband. And to be honest with you, I wouldn't even want to hold him back. Come to think of it, I would not be able to hold my mother back either. I'm dead serious. She's a tomboy at heart, was raised in the country with a lot of brothers, in great shape, and fiercely protective of us. She's the one you want to call to curse out the creditor, or tell the unethical repairman face-to-face where he can stick his screwdriver. I'm pretty sure you would see us on one of those tv video shows, Court Gone Wild or whatever they are called, where the victim's family jumps over the rail and commences to beating down the perp. I'd have to start collecting bail money for my own family.
Check out the full story and the video news segment:
Stranger Slapped Screaming Child. The accused looks like he wakes up and goes to bed in a perpetual state of anger, doesn't he? He really should've stayed home that day. Now he has a lot more to worry about than a screaming kid.