Shan: Why Adrian Peterson Went Too Far
Blog By Shan Shariff | @newschoolSS
DALLAS (105.3 THE FAN) -- I've read hundreds of your reactions to the Adrian Peterson story and this is my conclusion: There is no set way to parent.
What appears extreme to some is perfectly normal to others. I truly believe that Adrian sees nothing wrong with what he did, because that's the old-school way HE was raised in East Texas, and we're all products of our environment.
I don't have my own children (stepson), but I view his tactics as unnecessary and overboard.
I keep seeing people write this: "My parents beat me the same and I turned out okay. This is why society is SOFT!!!"
Well guess what, my parents DIDN'T beat me like that and I also turned out okay. What irritates me about these abuse stories is the green light it gives many to show how tough you were because you caught a switch or a paddle. Congratulations on wearing the welts and bruises as a badge of honor.
Details: Peterson Indicted On Child Abuse Charges
My own personal view is that Adrian Peterson doesn't realize he crossed the line. To me, it's excessive to draw blood after swatting your kid 10-15 times. Why did he need to put leaves in his boy's mouth while hitting him?? What brilliant parenting handbook did that come from?!? He accidentally "got him in the nuts" once and was disappointed the boy didn't cry -- sounds educational.
I know you don't want to be told how to parent. I know our society has become overly-sensitive and I know you may have been raised like Adrian Peterson, but I'm glad he was stopped.
I have an 8-year old stepson who I've been around for the past 5 years and NOTHING he has done would warrant the Peterson beating, ESPECIALLY at the age of FOUR.
It should also be pointed out that Adrian JUST LOST a son who was beaten to death last year. Did he learn from it? Is it still in his mind as he's "whooping" his own kids? Impossible to answer, but you hope so.
Moving forward, I do not think Peterson deserves the same punishment as Ray Rice, and the first reason is intent.
At this time, I think (hope) Adrian was attempting to discipline and not torture his boy. While Peterson's child is more helpless than Janay Rice, I still have to view child discipline (as overboard as it was) as less than hitting a female. I've never been opposed to spanking or some form of slapping (what I got) in order to discipline, but Adrian Peterson took this too far.
If you can't parent without a tree branch, maybe you shouldn't be parenting at all.
You can hear Shan Shariff on Shan & RJ, weekdays 5:30-10 a.m. on 105.3 The Fan.
(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Latest News:
Top Trending: