Spare The Rod

There's a draft sitting in the queue from the 10th that I haven't finished. I would have liked to have published it before this entry because it's really more Chicken Soup For The Soul-ish than this post will turn out to be.

Moral quandry here.

So yesterday I take a long-distance call from a beautiful woman I've known for several years, mother of three daughters--college, high school and middle school aged. I know her children and her husband well enough.

Apparently, the husband has an "anger issue". Sometimes as frequently as monthly, this chap takes to beating up his kids. Used to smack the mother around until she put her foot down, now it's just whenever he's set off by one of the girls.

The latest incident (and really only the first of it's kind I've known of), she says, was about two weeks ago. The youngest was acting like a mule and pop goes the weasle, he's lost it. A beating to the back (not buttocks, but back), a shove to the floor and yet another shove down a flight of stairs and the 12 year old is shuttled into her parents' bedroom by the mother. The father leaves for work.

The mother's recommendation to the daughter?

"The next time he does that, don't wait for me or anyone else, just call 911 yourself."

I say, "Are you KIDDING me? You're asking this girl to figure out a way to protect herself? Why? Because you don't want to be the bad guy?"

"Yes." she quietly replies.

A prominent figure in the religious community-makes substantial monetary contributions to said community, this guy.

A PhD.

Her plan? "Well, I'll talk to him and ask him to leave peacefully, but I know what his question is going to be."

"Yeah? What?" drumming my fingers on the counter top.

"Will there be any conjugal visits?"

Uh.

See what I'd like to do, knowing the guy myself, is make the treck over to the house, wait for the guy and snatch him by the front of his shirt, making sure to include a wad of chest hair, pin him against the wall and ask Mr. Big Britches if he'd like to go a round or two.

C'mon.

We both know I can't and I'm not likely to really do that. Tell you what. There just is no justification for beating children and less so for fathers to do so to their daughters. Where does a man go in his mind to be able to raise his hand, empty or gripping a weapon, to a girl? This could turn into an essay if I don't wind it up now.

For all of you who believe in beating your children, get help, find out the difference between garnering respect and demanding it.

For the rest of you, let's form a posse.