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Topic: What would you have done?

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Michaela
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Joined: Feb 25 2005
Location: Washington
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Posted: Aug 01 2008 at 11:35am \| IP Logged

Yesterday, after doing some shopping, I was heading back to my car and heard yelling.

When I looked over, I saw a man yelling at his son (?) in a complete out-of-control rage. The boy was about 12, his body language wasn't just sad or embarrassed, but petrified and leaning back against a car.

The man was literally foaming with spit going off on this child. Nothing at all physical happened. I sat in my car watching and wondering what to do. Watching everyone else pass. It was so intense that I wanted to call the police to drive past just to difuse the situation. Maybe an officer to ask, "Is everything ok?" then the man would have stopped.

I just didn't know ...it wasn't a real emergency, nothing physical happened. Watching the tears stream down that child's face broke my heart. It seemed so off.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a moody person and understand getting upset, but this was soooo different. I wondered what this man was like at home if he was that brazen in public. Was he even that child's parent or someone else trusted to care for him? UGH!

I prayed God would do something. Then the owner of the car came out to get into the car they were leaning on...and it ended.
After everyone left, I just cried. Thanked God for the woman coming out to her car. Promised to never get into such a rage with my child.

I know families discipline differently, there was nothing physical, it wasn't a life or death situation to make the 911 call, but it really needed to stop.

I wonder what could I have done.

What would you have done?

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Michaela
Momma to Nicholas 16, Nathan 13, Olivia 13, Teresa 6, & Anthony 3

Cay Gibson
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Joined: July 16 2005
Location: Louisiana
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Posted: Aug 01 2008 at 12:19pm \| IP Logged

You cried and prayed, Michaela. Really is there anything more you could have done?

I don't know.

I will join you in praying for this little boy. I think the boy's body language spoke for the fear he was in.

Recently a little 6 yr old girl was killed by abuse just a few blocks from our church. To think that a child could do anything to warrant being beat this severely is unexplainable, unexcusable, unphantomable.

Truth is it isn't the child. It's the events, the happenings, the job, the co-workers, the gas prices, the food prices, etc. that are probably eating away at this man and the child is the receptacal of his father's emotional baggage.

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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks

KC in TX
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Joined: Aug 05 2005
Location: Texas
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Posted: Aug 01 2008 at 1:40pm \| IP Logged

Oh, how sad. I never know what to do in these types of situations. I was in the ER one time and this woman was just so verbally abusive to her children. I tried to understand that it is the ER and she'd been there a long time with all 4 of her children. Her husband was probably deployed and she was at the end of her rope. But, it didn't excuse her behavior. I prayed and much as I could. I know they were just very hungry.

I'll pray for this little boy. Big hugs to you for your heart.

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KC,
wife to Ben (10/94),
Mama to LB ('98)
Michaela ('01)
Emma ('03)
Jordan ('05)
And, my 2 angels, Rose ('08) and Mark ('09)

The Cabbage Patch

crusermom
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Joined: Aug 09 2007
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Posted: Aug 01 2008 at 7:16pm \| IP Logged

There is not too much you could do - but if you really felt that the boy was in danger you could have copied down the license plate and called CPS. Don't know if it would do any good. I think they look for physical abuse before they investigate.

Mary

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Mary

Army wife and Crusermom to 8 wonderful children!

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