Walmart baby slapper sentenced

[withay]

http://www.ajc.com/news/gwinnett/man-sentenced-to-year-278286.html

The man who slapped a baby in Walmart in suburban Atlanta was sentenced to a year in jail. He said he understands that he was wrong but still doesn't see why people reacted so strongly!:thumbdown:

[JennyM]

A year! Good! What an awful man. :cursing:

[debbadoo]

A year in jail, but he STILL does not "get" it! :cursing:

[Amy]

A year in jail, but he STILL does not "get" it! :cursing:

He says he got it that he was wrong. He just doesn't get why people reacted so strongly. Altho, that does seem to be an oxymoron.

[RootBeer]

I hate parents who let their kids get all crazy and crying in the stores but I would not slap the brat unless he/she was mine.

[Citygirl]

This guy may learn how it feels to get slapped, while he's enjoying the hospitality of the state..at least I hope he does..

[mrsmcgoo]

This guy may learn how it feels to get slapped, while he's enjoying the hospitality of the state..at least I hope he does..

I couldn't agree more! :cursing:

[samEgiG]

I hate parents who let their kids get all crazy and crying in the stores but I would not slap the brat unless he/she was mine.


Me too, so if I was going to slap anyone, it would be the parent.

[debbadoo]

He says he got it that he was wrong. He just doesn't get why people reacted so strongly. Altho, that does seem to be an oxymoron.

As I said....he does not get it.....I wonder if he'd have appreciated someone whacking HIS kids when they were younger? Doubt it. Oh, and minus the "oxy" and you have this guy....LOL

[kitty1182]

A year in jail, but he STILL does not "get" it! :cursing:

maybe somebody in jail will make him understand:wink:

[tootie]

maybe somebody in jail will make him understand:wink:

Here, here. I second that notion. :cursing:

[IaNsSyAlNuE]

He deserves nothing less. As an aside his picture so matches what I imagined him to look like--- very mean!

[Mr. Moto2]

He deserves nothing less. As an aside his picture so matches what I imagined him to look like--- very mean!

Yeah, he does look like a meanie.. lol.. like WWE wrestler or something. Was the girl he slapped hurt?

[birdwatch]

maybe somebody in jail will make him understand:wink:

I don't doubt that!:thumbsup:

[birdwatch]

Yeah, he does look like a meanie.. lol.. like WWE wrestler or something. Was the girl he slapped hurt?
No - I'm sure her little cheeks were red - but it was reported that she was fine.

[Details]

He deserves nothing less. As an aside his picture so matches what I imagined him to look like--- very mean!Not only that - bitter and angry. I just imagine someone who hasn't gotten what he wanted from life, and is upset that those he sees as less worthy than himself succeed - and took it out on a crying child.

What is ridiculous to me is that from what I can tell, the mother was doing the right thing. You let a crying child cry - you don't bribe them to stop (EVER), you don't smack them around, you don't leave the store (and reward them in that way - since leaving the store is exactly what they want) - unless it gets really bad, you just ignore them so they get no reward for their crying - and they learn to stop and control themselves.

[R~O~S]

The guy definitely got what he deserved. I agree I can't stand the parents that will allow their children to scream the entire time their in the store while not bothering to do anything to control them. I tend not to go at high volume times & I'd leave before it got to me to the point that I'd consider striking out at anyone.

But.........

Can someone explain why the mother stayed in the area when he told her he was going to do something to her child?

"If you don't shut that baby up, I'm going to shut her up for you", that's what he said to the mother.

Call me crazy, but if someone threatens my child I'm gonna leave the shopping cart and head straight for store security with my child. I'm not going to give him so much as one second to do something to my child, never mind minutes/moments.

There are crazy people in this world, if someone actually threatens you or your child, it would be in your best interest to leave.

The baby is lucky, the mom is a ditz, she's lucky he wasn't more demented & armed with something other than his hands, although the damage could have been a lot worse even with hands.

[Details]

Why stay?

Because you don't believe the idiot will do anything - this was an extreme act, there's no reason to cave to a bully because there's a one in a million chance that he's actually a crazy.

And because you need to finish your shopping - no matter what.

And because you don't accept being pushed around based on empty threats.

She's in a store, people all around, security - no reason to feel unsafe. He did a crazy thing, no way to forsee it - other than 20/20 hindsight.




And - you never know what parents have and have not done to control their children. Some have found that not doing anything is the way to make the crying stop the fastest. What else can a parent do? Smack them? Close their mouth? You can't reason a child that age out of crying, and sometimes you can't play or distract them out either. I understand this one very well - my child has experimented with tantrums - and we're busy making sure she gets NOTHING - no bribe, no reward of leaving the store, no gain in any shape, when she does so. Because of this, she does not tantrum hardly ever any more - because it didn't work. But if you saw me training her, you'd be thinking I was doing nothing to control my child. The child was just crying - not running wild, not pulling things off shelves, not hitting people - just crying. There's often nothing to do to control that.

[R~O~S]

All fine and good to stand on the principle, problem is it was her child she risked.

In a day and age when people do outrageous things, she was told straight out if she didn't quiet the child, he'd do it for her.

I'm not willing to risk my child's welfare because I need to finish shopping (which could have been done after security neutralized the threat), or because I didn't take him seriously (I'm not willing to risk my child's life on maybe) nor am I willing to live with knowing my child was harmed or worse because I was a stubborn fool who won't be "pushed around".

The man told her clearly he was willing to hurt her child and she stayed there allowing him access to her child. She's a ditz and she's lucky he didn't do far more damage than he did.

& I think I may know just a tad more about raising children than you give me credit. :seeya:

[samEgiG]

He got off way too easy if you ask me. Just another freak who needs to be gotten rid of, IMVHO and instead he's going to be locked up for a little while and then back out among us. Gives me the heebs.

Am I the only one who has seriously considered taking a baseball bat with me wherever I go anymore? Whack jobs everywhere these days. Ugh. :thumbdown:

Get a handgun instead,... the bat won't fit in your purse.

:sneaky:

[birdwatch]

He got off way too easy if you ask me. Just another freak who needs to be gotten rid of, IMVHO and instead he's going to be locked up for a little while and then back out among us. Gives me the heebs.

Am I the only one who has seriously considered taking a baseball bat with me wherever I go anymore? Whack jobs everywhere these days. Ugh. :thumbdown: That mom is lucky he didn't strangle the child. How about a small keychain pepper spray? I'm going to check and see if we can legally carry that here.
http://www.pepper-spray-store.com/relatedinfo/laws.shtml
Or here is a better site with by State laws.

http://www.misdefenseproducts.com/Pepper-Spray-Laws-Restrictions-sp-6.html

[incidentally]

That mom is lucky he didn't strangle the child. How about a small keychain pepper spray? I'm going to check and see if we can legally carry that here.
http://www.pepper-spray-store.com/relatedinfo/laws.shtml
Or here is a better site with by State laws.

http://www.misdefenseproducts.com/Pepper-Spray-Laws-Restrictions-sp-6.html

I had to go by the DMV this week and they were selling pepper spray. I was shocked.

[Marrigan]

I can't imagine getting so riled up over a crying baby that someone could actually slap the little thing. Even worse is that he can't understand the broohaha. When I see a baby crying and the parent is ignoring them, my instinct is to scoop them up and soothe them. But, that would get me arrested!

And not to justify this guy's actions in any way, shape or form, but am I the last person on the planet who thinks that infants and babies don't belong in stores?

Yes, yes, I've heard all of the reasons and excuses for taking little ones to the store, but none of them are good enough, IMHO.

Health reasons alone should make people stop and think and consider their options before taking vulnerable little ones into these big germy environments.

What about the "sensory overload" factor? The lights, the background music, the noise, the chatter...yikes, what must it be like for these little ones to be virtually bombarded with all of that? Maybe these kids aren't having tantrums. Maybe they're freaked out and crying is a call for help.

And lastly, what is a parent's social obligation? Do people (and the store personnel) have a right to go about their business without the tormented hollerin' of babies? Call me a cranky curmudgeon, but I long for the good old days when people didn't feel the need to drag their kids everywhere.

[Duke]

I can't imagine getting so riled up over a crying baby that someone could actually slap the little thing. Even worse is that he can't understand the broohaha. When I see a baby crying and the parent is ignoring them, my instinct is to scoop them up and soothe them. But, that would get me arrested!

And not to justify this guy's actions in any way, shape or form, but am I the last person on the planet who thinks that infants and babies don't belong in stores?

Yes, yes, I've heard all of the reasons and excuses for taking little ones to the store, but none of them are good enough, IMHO.

Health reasons alone should make people stop and think and consider their options before taking vulnerable little ones into these big germy environments.

What about the "sensory overload" factor? The lights, the background music, the noise, the chatter...yikes, what must it be like for these little ones to be virtually bombarded with all of that? Maybe these kids aren't having tantrums. Maybe they're freaked out and crying is a call for help.

And lastly, what is a parent's social obligation? Do people (and the store personnel) have a right to go about their business without the tormented hollerin' of babies? Call me a cranky curmudgeon, but I long for the good old days when people didn't feel the need to drag their kids everywhere.


LOL, I don't know what a cranky curmudgeon is but you said you were one so you probably are:scared:.

I dreaded dragging my babe around when he was young because it took so much longer but I learned to make my errands during my breaks at work to avoid this.

i would not take back any trip now since because we both learned along the way. He learned to not get his way and i learned how to deal with it. We are both better for it now!!!!

Oh and there are tons of reasons you have to take your kids to the store and i believe every story. How about being a single parent? You can't lock them up for a few hours while you gather food for the family.

[KatieLady]

The guy definitely got what he deserved. I agree I can't stand the parents that will allow their children to scream the entire time their in the store while not bothering to do anything to control them. I tend not to go at high volume times & I'd leave before it got to me to the point that I'd consider striking out at anyone.

But.........

Can someone explain why the mother stayed in the area when he told her he was going to do something to her child?

"If you don't shut that baby up, I'm going to shut her up for you", that's what he said to the mother.

Call me crazy, but if someone threatens my child I'm gonna leave the shopping cart and head straight for store security with my child. I'm not going to give him so much as one second to do something to my child, never mind minutes/moments.

There are crazy people in this world, if someone actually threatens you or your child, it would be in your best interest to leave.

The baby is lucky, the mom is a ditz, she's lucky he wasn't more demented & armed with something other than his hands, although the damage could have been a lot worse even with hands.

From the link up thread

A few moments later, Stephens grabbed the 2-year-old and slapped her across the face four or five times, according to the police report.

Doesn't sound to me like she even had a chance to leave. Sounds like it all happened in a matter of seconds.

I think I would have been so stunned that someone said something like that it would take me a few seconds to even process it!

IMO

[Momof2girls]

He looks like a curmudgeon.

People can carry concealed weapons with a permit in ALT , he's lucky he didn't get pistol whipped.

[Details]

...And not to justify this guy's actions in any way, shape or form, but am I the last person on the planet who thinks that infants and babies don't belong in stores?

Yes, yes, I've heard all of the reasons and excuses for taking little ones to the store, but none of them are good enough, IMHO.

Health reasons alone should make people stop and think and consider their options before taking vulnerable little ones into these big germy environments.

What about the "sensory overload" factor? The lights, the background music, the noise, the chatter...yikes, what must it be like for these little ones to be virtually bombarded with all of that? Maybe these kids aren't having tantrums. Maybe they're freaked out and crying is a call for help.

And lastly, what is a parent's social obligation? Do people (and the store personnel) have a right to go about their business without the tormented hollerin' of babies? Call me a cranky curmudgeon, but I long for the good old days when people didn't feel the need to drag their kids everywhere.Yes, yes you are (OK, you aren't - this guy is right there with you - which would sure give me pause....).

No, parents do not have the money to get a babysitter every time they need to run an errand - even if that worked (errands sometimes crop up quickly), even if it was desirable. No, it is not good for children to be locked away in the home. Yes, they do have some sensory overload - and this is something they learn to deal with - they have to at some point. The stimulation is good for them. As is the lesson that they have to learn to do things they do not enjoy without crying and whining getting them out of it.

No, there is no right to go about your business without the realities of life intruding - people are babies at some point - all of us. People are parents at some point - most of us. Worse still, we'll all get old and smelly and slow and even sometimes confused, and be another type of drag on the rest of society.


Oh - and what 'good old days'? My mom took us out to the grocery store, wherever she had to go - that's what stay at home mom's do! They don't have a spare nanny - the kids go where the mom goes, doing the shopping to keep the house going as the husband makes the money. That was a good solid 35-40 years ago.

[R~O~S]

Not for nothin, but back in the "good old days", the fruit truck came down the street and the "stay at home mom" got all the fruits and veggies right off the truck. There was a butcher shop on nearly every corner. Mom left the baby carriage on the sidewalk, while the older kids were in school & she went in and got the fish or meat she'd be serving that night for dinner.

Shopping didn't take all day & Mom made the clothes, hung the laundry and washed diapers. They didn't traipse their children through store after store at all hours for hours on end.

Grandma lived upstairs or around the corner & kids could be left in their own yard knowing Mrs McGillicuddy was next door if they needed anything while Mom was out.

None of which is intended to suggest todays single Mom has a lot of choices, but lets not paint the days gone by to be something they weren't.

No, children didn't run wild in the stores, parents didn't drag them through store after store while screaming, there was a crying room in the house of worship and you were expected to use it rather than allowing your children to negatively impact everyone else & the general public was not exposed to ill behaved children everywhere they went.

It's a rarity indeed that I actually see a single woman trying to manage her shopping with children in tow. In reality, I rarely hear screaming and carrying on in the grocery store, the only true shopping that may need to be done right now, rather than another time. Rather, it's usually a gaggle of women with many children in tow & they're far more interested in discussing this that and the other purchase they're contemplating, than keeping an eye on their kids terrorizing the store.

I can't help but wonder why one of them couldn't have kept the kids while the other did her shopping and vice versa.