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New York, 11:58 PM
Thu Nov 12
67 posts in the last 24 hours
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07/11/09
yes, the people i describe are of a ethnicity, but i think, overall, it's the domain of the poor and disenfranchised. this explanation, however, doesn't make it right, and i fear for how these children will cope growing up. those who speak up are brave--perhaps foolish, because they cannot change anything, but still brave.
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07/10/09
Long story short; the inability to protect her own children sent her into a psycotic break where she then kidnapped a 6 month-old baby girl, thinking it was her own child. She was terrified that her husband/someone was after the child and wanted to hurt her.
And that's when Aunt Debi spent time in a federal mental institution.
Man, I always end up talking about my aunt when it comes to things like this. I love her to pieces and she only recently told me the back story to why she was in the institution.
And that asshole who abused her? Shot and killed his newest wife, her cousin, and then himself last year.
07/10/09
It seriously did a number on me as a child to know that adults in the neighborhood knew that my dad was hitting my mom and sister, even beating my sister in the front yard with a stick and they weren't willing to interfere. There was one neighbor who did talk with me about it, who wanted me to know that it wasn't okay and wasn't normal, and she also confronted my dad at times. Another woman helped us escape and hid us in her home when we left. I will never forget the extraordinary humanity of those people, and I can never forget those who knew and did nothing.
I always speak up when I witness partner or parental violence in public. There is no excuse for it; you don't have to "know" the victim, or how bad their perceived crime was. It doesn't matter that you can't stop what happens behind closed doors. If you think you're a good person, you have to stick your neck out and do what you can.
07/10/09
I truly believe we all need to quit being so afraid of being labeled as racist and start practicing being human.
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07/10/09
Yes, I am yelling.
07/10/09
Though is it so terrible that someone comes up to ask if your child is okay?? They shouldn't tell you what to do maybe, but just checking if he or she is okay is a good thing to do. If your child was lost or in trouble without you, wouldn't you want a good samaritan to help them??
07/10/09
I am talking about a child crying or screaming DOES NOT give any one the right to come ask him/ or her what is wrong when there is another adult present. I do not let strangers talk to my kids. You can ask Me and I will kindly tell you to mind your business. Like I said above children love , love to throw tantrums that have absolutely nothing to do with being hit or yelled at. If the child is not in pain, bleeding or being beaten ( not talking about a pat on the butt here) then mind your business! Or call the cops. I would love to see the cops reaction when someone tells them a woman yell at her kid and now the kid is crying or a mother had the nerve to swat her kid on the butt. Again none of those things are illegal. Please, the cop will probably tell the person to mind their business.
07/10/09
To reiterate, as far as legality is concerned, any person has the "right" to politely speak to someone in a public place. It may offend your misplaced idea that you can treat your kid however you want, but that's probably just because you're an ignorant, likely despicable human being. What kind of parent are you, I wonder, that you have to be so defensive?
07/10/09
There are all kinds of ways to handle a temper tantrum that don't include smacking them. This situation appeared to be a baby in a stroller. That's a little different than garden variety discipline.
Taking control of a situation isn't the same as what either of these articles are talking about. And frankly, though a spanking isn't illegal, hitting kids as punishment isn't actually an effective deterrent unless the kid is already not prone to that behavior. If you're having to constantly spank a kid, something is wrong. Either they aren't learning about consequences effectively, or situations are being allowed to get out of control.
07/11/09
07/11/09
I do have monopoly over my own child. You damn sure don't. I never said shit about smacking ANYchild. So keep making assumptions all you want. I see you just want to argue w/o really reading what I wrote. Liv HAD not business to interfere.
07/11/09
Again, I said absolutely nothing about smacking ANY child. But just because a child is crying is not enough reason for a TOTAL STRANGER to come up to any child and ask the child if he is okay especially if there's adult present.
07/11/09
You must not know how to read and since said shit about smacking a child. Read again. I am talking about a parents right to discipline a child w/o interference from strangers. I mention spanking and whether you agree with it or not smacking a child across the face IS NOT SPANKING. Love how you automatically assume that I might to the latter. I thought the one of the reasons for the new comment structure was to some people ( like you) from Jumping to conclusions?
" Reasoned response to opinions and assertions presented by staff and other commenters is encouraged; accusations, insinuations, nastiness, sarcasm, etc. is not"
07/11/09
Anyway, if an internet argument makes you fly off the handle like that, I shudder at the thought of what you do to your children after the slightest provocation. Consider seeking professional help before you die of a stroke or a stranger's hands after you fly off the handle in a public place
07/11/09
07/11/09
You are playing the assumption game . You are accusing, insinuating and you are bringing my children into it w.o any real need to. Again I thought the reason for the new comment structure was to stop people like you from jumping to conclusions? Read my comment AGAIN. Just because You DO NOT AGREE with my statement that parents should be allowed to discipline their child Does not mean you have the right to question me as a mother. The one that need professional help is you because like you said you were referring to the NYT COLUMNIST, but you still feel the need to take a cheap shot.
07/11/09
You are the one who started this thread, genius, all angry and up in everybody's face about how they're YOUR children and nobody has any business over their well-being but you.
You start out by saying "it is not illegal to yell at your kid or spank them." Using your own logic against you, it is also not illegal to come up to someone in a public place to make sure everything is all right.
I am not taking any cheap shots. "Just because you do not agree with my statement that parents should be allowed to discipline their child does not mean you have the right to question me as a mother."
No, no no. You are an idiot. No really, you are a complete idiot. What is this "right" you speak of? Please show me in the Constitution or any state or local law where it says ordinary citizens have no "right" to question parents in a public place.
Oh you can't? Funny. Oh wait that's because you're wrong.
You may THINK you know what's best for your child, but bystanders have EVERY right to question you spanking or yelling at your child, both out of a sense of civic duty and the fact that it is in a public place absolutely positively makes it their business. "They're my kids," is a weak, baseless, see-through defense spoken by ig'nant parents who think that just because they pumped jizz into someone (or vice versa) to have a child, they have a monopoly over their life.
Not true. Nobody needs special permission to confront you in a public place. And that's a good thing. Maybe next time you're in a pulic place with your children you'll swallow your pride and not yell at your kids.
Child welfare is EVERYONE'S business.
If you don't like it? Too bad. There's absolutely nothing you can do to stop someone from confronting you. Nothing.
07/11/09
Since you are resorting to name calling. You are the f*cking idiot. You have the right to interfer then the person has the right to tell you to F*ck Off.
07/11/09
Yes, you do have the right to interfere. Thank you for finally admitting to that.
That is all.
07/11/09
"You can ask Me and I will kindly tell you to mind your business."
I said it earlier, but you are way too busy attacking me to read all the comments. Funny how you did not acknowledge that the person can also tell you to F@ck off.
You should make yourself familiar with Jezebel's rules about personal attacks. Personal attacks are not condone especially on a feminist site. Or does the rules somehow do not apply to you?
that is all.
07/11/09
Anyway, your point (if there is one behind the vitriol) is not self-evident. Someone can tell me to fuck off? Yeah, that's a given, considering my entire point was no one needs a reasons to confront someone in a public place, that falls under the same umbrella. Funny how all of your counterarguments were reduced to that one retort, the rhetorical equivalent of "it takes one to know one."
I haven't attacked anyone. If I've been sarcastic, it's because you started this thread with a hostile attitude.
I am quite familiar with the rules as a regular commenter on almost every Gawker network blog.
This is not a personal attack but observation-you seem to lack reading comprehension skills. You started the thread saying no one has the right to question your parenting. That is entirely wrong-the articles mentioned in this post cite people questioning parenting in public places amid suspicion of abuse. Yes, you can be indignant and defend your actions with the pathetic and baseless "They're my kids," I bet CPS will consider that a mitigating factor...oh wait. Everyone has the right to do that, and for some reason you fly off the handle in a thread you start.
You have cleverly avoiding engaging debate by accusing others of personal attacks and writing angry sentences in all caps. I don't know where this sense of self-righteousness comes from, but it's hilarious.
07/11/09
07/11/09
All talk. The internet makes so- call Heroes out of anyone, but the truth of the matter is and what I realize is that you would never have the nerve to confront Anyone FACE TO FACE. You can attack all night long via the internet,but you are ALL TALK and you sound very much like a coward. Small, vile and ignorant to boot. You do not know how to engage in a debate only how to insult. So keep typing away, but stop pretending you are ANY Child's personal savior. What.A. Joke.
07/10/09
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07/10/09
I'm glad this gentlemen and Liv Tyler had the wherewithal to say something in public, but what do we do about all the abuse that goes on in private? Ugh. Now I'm depressed.
07/10/09
The 3 of them were chit-chatting amongst themselves, when the cutest little toddler (looked to be about 3) ran up to the first woman saying "mommy, mommy" and hugged her leg.
The woman responded to the little girl by shoving her away and saying very loudly, "get the fuck off me, ho!"
I shot her the meanest dirtiest look I could at the time and stood there dumbfounded because that remark was about 25 kinds of wrong. The lady and her friends walked off.
I still feel bad to this day that I couldn't muster up enough courage/words to give that woman a piece of my mind.
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07/10/09
Walking my dog in a very empty park in Queens. I see two teenage boys with pitbull type dogs. One is hitting the dog with a chain, like a big ass Kryponite bike lock kind of chain.
I'm on the phone with my mother, tell her to hold on and stalk over to them and ask them what the F they are doing?
They mumble something unintelligible and I tell them hitting their dog with a chain isn't going to make it tough and it makes them anything but.
They could tell I was pissed, kind of half assed apologized and hightailed it out of there.
I would find it hard to not do the same thing if I saw someone abusing a person. At that point, I don't care if I'm alone, if they are kids or old people, black or white. I get mad and it doesn't matter.
07/10/09
All Kitty Geneovise needed was for one person, JUST ONE, to try and help her and she would be alive today.
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07/10/09
Her case isn't that simple.
I hear people screaming incoherently all the time in my neighborhood and it does occur to me that I'm not just hearing the typical drunk students, but most of the time....what can I do?
07/10/09