Adrian Peterson and the Pearl method of abuse

[HoneyBunny]

I haven't seen anything about this here or on Wide World of Snark, but I've been sickened by what I'm reading in the news. Just because it's what was done to you doesn't make some things right, and this was one of them. Adrian tried beating his 4-year old until he cried, and he just didn't cry. To top it off, Adrian shoved leaves in his child's mouth while he was torturing him.

This happened last year to Peterson's 2 year old son at the hands of his mother's boyfriend, only that time the child died. What is it about our society that makes anyone feel this is an acceptable way to discipline children?

Just because they're professional athletes doesn't make it right. In fact, it makes it more wrong. They, at least, have other resources as their disposal.

[CallmeChaCha]

I read the story and thought about the Pearls as well. Although, I don't remember what the Pearls call their beating instruments, but Adrian called it a switch. Allegedly, he also has a 'whooping room' in his house, and has a collection of belts in his closet. The belt thing is true of a lot of us, but for the little boy to bring that up makes it sound like AP has threatened the children with his 'collection of belts.'

What is it with these pro athletes beating on and abusing people, and thinking they can get away with it?

[NotALoserLikeYou]

I had to unfollow D.L. Hughley on Facebook because of his posts about this and the comments that followed ("my mama works have been in jail!" "what kind of society is this where you can't spank your kids?!" "my parents hit me with whatever they could find, a hanger, a belt, extension cord and I turned out just fine!" "more parents need to discipline their kids like this. Kids today are lazy and rude."

[SolomonFundy]

I'm not suggesting that Adrian Peterson's actions are even remotely acceptable, but there is a huge difference between what he has admitted to, and what Joseph Patterson has been charged with. Patterson beat and choked Adrian's 2-year old son to death, causing significant head trauma. He has since be charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault, burglary and "interfering with emergency communications" in relation to another round of domestic abuse directed at the mother of the dead toddler. This was while he was out of custody on the murder charge. He still denies that he had anything to do with choking the baby.

Adrian punished his 4-year old son in a way that I was frequently punished growing up. It was pretty common among my friends as well. In my small corner of the South, when you screwed up, you got whipped with a switch until Mom and/or Dad's arm got tired. Despite growing up with this as a "norm," I absolutely do not think that it is acceptable, and I consider any "punishment" that draws blood to be abuse, regardless of intent. The fact that he accidentally hit the boy's testicles at least once during the incident is horrifying. If you are so out of control that you can "accidentally" whip a child in the genitals while aiming for its legs, you have no business administering punishment.

As bad as Adrian's actions are, whipping a small child with a switch that breaks the skin is a far cry from beating and choking an infant to death. They are both despicable acts though, and I don't excuse Adrian Peterson's actions just because he was raised that way. Your point about his access to better resources is excellent! This is inexcusable, and I sincerely hope that the NFL (not to mention the authorities) take at least the same measures that they have with Ray Rice. Peterson and Rice are both popular athletes, but they should have no reason to expect that they are above treating their loved ones with respect and basic human dignity.

[SPHASH]

As a Minnesota Vikings fan I am embarrassed.

[ViolaSebastian]

But hey, I'm sure he loves his son, so it's not child abuse. Am I right, Ken?

[Toothfairy]

I got beat with a switch. I had to go find one myself. My siblings also got beat. Sometimes we couldn't sit down for weeks. I think the Pearls abuse method is much worse than getting beat with a switch. I did see the photos and I do agree that it's a little obsessive to leave marks like that on a four year old.

[Mela99]

Just because people did it back then doesn't make it okay. It used to be okay to rape your spouse, kill your child, and leave your elderly to die in a field.

It was wrong then. It wasn't just "the times".

I'm sorry, but I have nothing nice to say about any person who lays a land on a child for any reason. It's not punishment. It's not justice, it's not learning, it's not anything.

Good for people who have parents who maybe understood there was a line between a swat and beating you senseless. Some of us weren't so lucky.

Adrian Peterson and all of his ilk can go fuck themselves with the biggest, most rabies infected iron stick.

[DGayle]

I'm seeing comments comparing whipping a child to the point of broken skin and blood, to an open-handed pop to a clothed bottom. I'm seeing people say they're the exact same and even a swat is as horrid as whipping a child bloody, and I'm seeing people say that they're both just fine because they're the same thing. No they're not! Peterson was out of control and could have killed his son.

I hope he goes to jail and gets tossed in with the general population.

[starfish]

Supposedly he has children all over the country that he has never even met.

The NFL....keepin' it classy with such respect for women and children.

[Mecca]

Seeing numerous people trying to justify the actions of Peterson is beyond vomit inducing. Yes, I was done the same way as a child. It was wrong then, and it is wrong now. Full stop.

[CallmeChaCha]

I wonder if people would run to defend him if he was just some random Joe Stranger they read about on the internet, or if people are just defending him because he's famous.

[DGayle]

Seeing numerous people trying to justify the actions of Peterson is beyond vomit inducing. Yes, I was done the same way as a child. It was wrong then, and it is wrong now. Full stop.

I was listening to the radio earlier, and a woman was justifying it thus:

"It's because of what you white people did to us black people during the days of slavery. Whipping our kids is mild compared to what you put us through, so it's not his fault! And when you tell dads to step up and raise their kids, well he's just raising his kid!"

The poor interview person was trying to get in a word edgewise.

I've heard a lot of bad justification for what Peterson did, but blaming his actions on the actions of white people 150 years ago as if the people alive today are the ones who beat, raped, and killed, the black people of today is ludicrous.

Adrian Peterson whipped the hell out of his son. This wasn't a spanking. This was an out-and-out whipping, and there is no justification for it. Anyone trying to make excuses are a part of the problem.

[Ivycoveredtower]

I was listening to the radio earlier, and a woman was justifying it thus:

"It's because of what you white people did to us black people during the days of slavery. Whipping our kids is mild compared to what you put us through, so it's not his fault! And when you tell dads to step up and raise their kids, well he's just raising his kid!"

The poor interview person was trying to get in a word edgewise.

I've heard a lot of bad justification for what Peterson did, but blaming his actions on the actions of white people 150 years ago as if the people alive today are the ones who beat, raped, and killed, the black people of today is ludicrous.

Adrian Peterson whipped the hell out of his son. This wasn't a spanking. This was an out-and-out whipping, and there is no justification for it. Anyone trying to make excuses are a part of the problem.

I keep hearing people say my mom dad, Grandma ect..did it to me there is nothing wrong with it. some guy on TV today said that if this guy got in trouble all Black Southern parents would be cause they all do this. and others are saying this is the problem with today's society that we don't whip our children so they are out of control. My mouth just drops I've seen the pictures that child had been bleeding. I don't understand how anyone can defend this.

[GeoBQn]

Reporters found a 2nd child abuse case against Peterson from last year, involving a different son.

http://thinkprogress.org/sports/2014/09 ... buse-case/

[Walking Cat Bed]

Those poor kids.

[Mecca]

I was listening to the radio earlier, and a woman was justifying it thus:

"It's because of what you white people did to us black people during the days of slavery. Whipping our kids is mild compared to what you put us through, so it's not his fault! And when you tell dads to step up and raise their kids, well he's just raising his kid!"

The poor interview person was trying to get in a word edgewise.

I've heard a lot of bad justification for what Peterson did, but blaming his actions on the actions of white people 150 years ago as if the people alive today are the ones who beat, raped, and killed, the black people of today is ludicrous.

Adrian Peterson whipped the hell out of his son. This wasn't a spanking. This was an out-and-out whipping, and there is no justification for it. Anyone trying to make excuses are a part of the problem.

Crazy. I also heard Whoopi Goldberg on The View this morning say she was disciplined in this manner as well and made reference to whipping her daughter and said people need to stay out of Peterson's business. I just turned off the TV. I cannot deal with people justifying this. I know first hand how it feels and the lasting effects it has long after the wounds heal. I went to school with open wounds on my leg and could not sit properly from a beating. My teacher asked me what happened. She saw the wounds because I had to wear dresses. When I told her what happened, all she said was I must have been naughty to receive a whipping. Nothing else done.

We need to stop making excuses for this type of behavior. Kids deserve protection under the law. If I cannot hit other people when they do something I don't like, the same protection should apply to children.

[lemonhead]

I have tried to stay away from this on the interwebs because it's so triggering for me...but I just wanted to say thank you to you guys for expressing horror and disgust over Peterson's actions. I was "disciplined" this way too, and it left me with unimaginable damage. I did not "turn out okay anyway" and it's so hard to hear and read the overwhelming number of responses supporting Peterson (see, for example, the comments on the opinion piece on CNN.com http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/15/opinion/r ... ?hpt=hp_t3 today that excoriate the author for criticizing him). And it's so validating to hear that others also think it's wrong and cruel. I just hope that little boy has someone in his life who he can trust and feel safe with.

[MamaJunebug]

A caller to a local radio talk show identified himself as African American and said the hosts - who had been lamenting the extent of AP's beating of the boy - were culturally insensitive. AFAIK he didn't say it was the fault of the slaveholding people of 150-300 years ago.

Another AA person called in to say that AP is wrong to have done what he did.

Have we any backup to the possibility that AP is a Pearl devotee, or at least has heard of them? Because this Caucasian American is fixing to call in whatever shows I can, tomorrow, when AP is the topic, and lament that there is a tiny but vocal branch of so-called-church people who advocate whipping 3-month-olds... with narrow-gauge plumbing line. I'll mention the Pearls' names and the name of their despicable book.

Because even if Peterson never heard of the disgusting duo, his punishment of this child is part and parcel of the same mindset.

[Toothfairy]

I don't support what he did but I would say most parents from the "old" days would beat your ass if you got out of line. My parents got beaten by their parents with golf clubs and cords. They would have welts and couldn't sit down for a week. My grandmother beat my brother with a workers belt. The heavy ones. It was the way she was raised. Do I raise my kids the same way no. Do I spank? Yes? Did I whoop them? Yes only a few times. It didn't leave marks. I didn't over do it. And I feel Adrian over did it. He was probably angry with he hit his son. I think that this is abuse. For a four year old the scars that are on his body was wrong and obsessive. However I'm pointing this out because it's hard to get rid of something you were raised with. It's like a cycle that never ends.

[MamaJunebug]

Toothfairy, thank you for the post ... it couldn't have been easy to write.

You say it's like a cycle that never ends, but sometimes it does. My best friend vowed never to have children, to break the cycle. My own mother, God rest her soul, had several children but through an act of supreme will never EVER beat us. I remember her with her hand raised at me (and I deserved to be swatted) and her face revealing the incredible battle inside her: the perfectly logical urge to beat as she'd been beaten, fighting the terror that she was about to do just that .... and in the end, she didn't.

It can be done. Can a man whose millions-dollar paycheck comes from an intrinsically violent sport ever learn self-control in his personal life? I'd like to think so. But there *is* that cycle. Sadness.

[Mecca]

I don't support what he did but I would say most parents from the "old" days would beat your ass if you got out of line. My parents got beaten by their parents with golf clubs and cords. They would have welts and couldn't sit down for a week. My grandmother beat my brother with a workers belt. The heavy ones. It was the way she was raised. Do I raise my kids the same way no. Do I spank? Yes? Did I whoop them? Yes only a few times. It didn't leave marks. I didn't over do it. And I feel Adrian over did it. He was probably angry with he hit his son. I think that this is abuse. For a four year old the scars that are on his body was wrong and obsessive. However I'm pointing this out because it's hard to get rid of something you were raised with. It's like a cycle that never ends.

The cycle ended with me and my siblings. Not one of us raised a hand to discipline any child. There comes a time when we have to stand on our own two feet and stop using how we were raised as an excuse to hit another human. It is not right. Full stop.

[Three and Done]

I was not beaten with any objects (that I can remember), but I was slapped, had my hair pulled, kicked, and on one memorable occasion lifted off the floor by my throat (I was 15). My dad's favorite expression was "I'm going to bounce you off a wall!".

My dad was an abused child himself, and was repeating learned behavior... but that didn't make it right.

I can STILL recall one time I lost my temper with my oldest daughter when she was three or so (twenty years ago), and I smacked her with an open hand on her leg. She had shorts on, and that one smack left a red hand print on her leg. When I really SAW what I had done, I sat down and cried. I swore then that I would not be my father and would never treat my kids the way I was treated.

Someone has to break the cycle.

[JellyHope]

Just saw Anderson Cooper use a stock footage interview with the Pearls while discussing the AP case. I kept hoping he would mention some sort of connection with the Duggars & the Pearls. But alas, 'twas not to happen.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

Crazy. I also heard Whoopi Goldberg on The View this morning say she was disciplined in this manner as well and made reference to whipping her daughter and said people need to stay out of Peterson's business. I just turned off the TV. I cannot deal with people justifying this. I know first hand how it feels and the lasting effects it has long after the wounds heal. I went to school with open wounds on my leg and could not sit properly from a beating. My teacher asked me what happened. She saw the wounds because I had to wear dresses. When I told her what happened, all she said was I must have been naughty to receive a whipping. Nothing else done.

We need to stop making excuses for this type of behavior. Kids deserve protection under the law. If I cannot hit other people when they do something I don't like, the same protection should apply to children.

That makes me so sad, what happened to you. Ive read similar experiences on the homeschoolers anonymous site. People need to be educated that no matter your culture or geographic location or what people did before, it's just not acceptable to whip kids like that.