US footballer Adrian Peterson arrested for child abuse

[Camy]

Mr Peterson's attorney said he regretted the incident and never intended to harm the four-year-old.

The footballer is said to have punished his son after he pushed another of his children off a motorbike video game.

Local media said the "whooping" - which is how Mr Peterson allegedly referred to the incident during a police interview - resulted in cuts and bruises to the boy's back, buttocks, legs and scrotum.

Mr Hardin said his client was a "loving father" who had "used the same kind of discipline with his child that he experienced as a child growing up in east Texas".

"It is important to remember that Adrian never intended to harm his son and deeply regrets the unintentional injury," he added.

He beat his four year old son with a tree branch yet never intended to harm him? What a load of utter steaming crap.

Read the article here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-29186682

[DesDownunder]

Is the tree branch okay?

[JamesSavik]

Pay careful attention to this phrase:

Mr Hardin said his client was a "loving father" who had "used the same kind of discipline with his child that he experienced as a child growing up in east Texas".

It's called a switch. Some parents will tell you to go out and pick your own switch. If you pick one that too light, they will pick it for you and you won't like it.

It's not a heavy tree branch. Typically it's a thin green limb that's limber and has a lot of pop to it.

Another reason you might take this with a grain of salt: a lot of prosecutors are god damned worthless fucking political whores that do anything for publicity. Prosecuting an bone fide star in the NFL, whether it has any merit or not, is their wet dream.

[Lugnutz]

See for yourself what was done.

http://www.tmz.com/2014/09/13/adrian-peterson-mug-shot-child-abuse-arrested-booked/

[Camy]

I don't care if it was a switch or a log, you shouldn't hit a four year old with it. And you certainly shouldn't hit hard enough to make them bleed.

[Cole Parker]

I don't know if he needs jail time, but certainly a parenting class would be in order. Child discipline is always a tough issue. Some kids are more resilient than others. But I hate the idea of curing a bully, which sort of sounds like what this kid was doing -- bullying another kid -- by bullying him.

The cycle has to stop. If Peterson was beaten as a kid, he should know not to do it himself. But he lives in a violent world.

I feel for the kid.

C

[TalonRider]

It will be interesting to see how the NFL officials handle this compared to how they've handled Ray Rice situation.

[colinian]

I don't give a flying fuck if that's what Adrian Peterson's daddy did to discipline him. ANY punishment that causes bleeding is improper and in most states, including Texas, is illegal. His son is FOUR YEARS OLD. He was beaten with a "switch" that caused open cuts on his arms, legs, back, chest, buttocks, and genitals. No one can tell me this is appropriate punishment for any child. This kind of "that's what my daddy did to me and I came out all right" bullshit has to stop.

It's too bad Adrian Peterson can't receive the same kind of "whooping" with the exact same "switch" in the exact same locations on his body.

Colin

[Nick Deverill]

But I hate the idea of curing a bully, which sort of sounds like what this kid was doing -- bullying another kid -- by bullying him.

Yes, it's not how you cure bullies, it's more like an object lesson in how to to make one.

[Nigel Gordon]

. This kind of "that's what my daddy did to me and I came out all right" bullshit has to stop.

He clearly did not come out all right if this is the type of action he takes against a young child or anybody for that matter.

[Cole Parker]

I'm not even sure how anyone could ever do that. Beat a 4-year-old with a 'switch' so hard that he's bleeding, and then keep doing it until his body is covered all over with welts and cuts. He's have to be screaming and trying to get away and wriggling around and sobbing and, well, how could anyone be that heartless? It boggles my mind, thinking what that would look like.

I certainly wasn't excusing Peterson because the same had happened to him. I was just pointing out that in his mind, that was how he was supposed to behave. It's definitely sick and illegal behavior.

C

[Grant Bentley]

I don't give a flying fuck if that's what Adrian Peterson's daddy did to discipline him. ANY punishment that causes bleeding is improper and in most states, including Texas, is illegal. His son is FOUR YEARS OLD. He was beaten with a "switch" that caused open cuts on his arms, legs, back, chest, buttocks, and genitals. No one can tell me this is appropriate punishment for any child. This kind of "that's what my daddy did to me and I came out all right" bullshit has to stop.

It's too bad Adrian Peterson can't receive the same kind of "whooping" with the exact same "switch" in the exact same locations on his body.

Colin

I agree with Colin, and give the switch to Hulk Hogan.