As seen on America The Not So Beautiful
September 16, 2014
By Mike Caccioppoli
I’ve heard enough excuses when it comes to Adrian Peterson’s beating of his four year old son for which he was recently indicted. No it’s not OK to whip your child with a tree branch or anything else for that matter. It’s not something that is excusable because someone’s father might have done it to them or grandfather or uncle or whomever. The kid is also just four years old. Adrian Peterson is a parent in the 21st century, in the year 2014. He is a millionaire with a good if not great education and he should know right from wrong. His excuses are his own. Same goes for the others who are trying to excuse his vile behavior.
That behavior is unfortunately not isolated in this country. It’s not just blacks and it’s not just in the NFL. It is a mindset that is prevalent. The idea that violence is the way to go. The only way. Your kid doesn’t listen? Beat em. Your wife gives you lip? Beat her. There are some people in other countries that annoy us? Bomb the shit out of them. Spread that capitalism and freedom far and wide. Make em eat it.
In 2014 we are actually talking about how a professional sports league, run by well schooled rich guys, needs to “learn” about things such as domestic violence and child abuse. So they have “learned” about this in other countries but not here? Why are we the last to learn about such things as basic human compassion? The answer is because we don’t want to learn. We want things our way. The only way. The American way.
We are very much stuck in the 1950’s in many ways. As other nations advance we regress. The NFL just symbolizes what is so wrong with this country. The alpha-male, out of control masculinity that we need to flex in everyone’s face on a daily basis. It really is very simple folks. Don’t hit your spouse. Don’t beat your kids till they bleed. Don’t bomb everyone you don’t like. What exactly do we need to “learn”?
If you assault someone in the street, you get arrested, Period. So why aren’t you arrested if you hit your spouse or your kid? Why are these “exceptions”? People say things like “My father whooped me when I was a kid” or “Domestic disputes should be between husband and wife” as a way to excuse vile behavior as the American “norm” and in a way it is just that. As though things that were once acceptable behavior, or behavior that wasn’t talked about in public, is still OK. It’s not.
The idea that the NFL needs a manual to tell its players to not beat their wives or kids is insane. The bottom line is until we really start to admit that we are a violent, backwards country in so many ways, none of this will ever change. I don’t want to hear about “education”, as though we need courses to teach this common sense humanity to people. What does that say about us?
The violence as a cure all that some parents may have passed on to their kids hasn’t stopped with this and future generations because we continue to have that same old world mentality when it comes to just about everything. We want our politicians to “talk tough”, to bomb and fight and use war to get what we want, even though it never does, ever. We let our kids shoot high-powered weapons when they are six years old. That this is what it means to be “respected.”
Since so many Americans are caught in this sick mindset it allows the NFL and the Vikings to continue to play a guy like Peterson when he has been indicted. You think your boss is going to keep you if you are indicted for ANYTHING? The NFL knows that enough Americans will excuse Peterson, will “pray for him”, so they can get away with allowing him to play. Just as Ray Rice will now appeal his ban. As I said before, Rice should not have been banned because of a video, he should have been banned because he beat his wife. Nobody should be able to enjoy a millionaire’s life, a star’s life, when they are beating their wife or kid. Nobody.
This country’s gun obsession, or jingoistic mentality goes hand in hand with its high tolerance for domestic abuse, and child abuse, since the psychological factor is the same. Dominance. Using the fist to get our way. It can be an actual fist, or it can be a gun, a drone, or the whipping device of your choice. The child can get a beating from his dad then turn on the television and see how his/her country is about to give the middle east another beating.
No manual is going to help them. Or us.
Mike.Caccioppoli@yahoo.com
@CaccioppoliMike
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