Man Slaps Someone Else's 2 Year Old Repeatedly at Walmart

[Destiny13]

He told the mother "if you don't shut that baby up, I'll shut her up for you"

I am enraged here. Children have to learn at one point or another. Why would you hit a child to make them "shut up"? That only makes them scream! Heeelllllloooo!! I will not take my daughter home, or get her out of your hair if she's with me at the store, sorry. I am sorry that she has to learn to be sociable like everyone else, and sorry that that may happen within ear shot of you.  My daughter still cries and screams from time to time, but she is learning that throwing a fit won't get her her way, so she doesn't do it often; only if she has strong feelings about the object or issue. In fact she has only thrown one fit at a store so far. I can't stand how people say crying children "ruin" their "shopping experience" Like they go to the store looking to be calmed or sang to or something.. Anyway here's the story, tell me what YOU think:

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. (Sept. 2) - Police say a 61-year-old man annoyed with a crying 2-year-old girl at a suburban Atlanta Walmart slapped the child several times after warning the toddler's mother to keep her quiet.

A police report says after the stranger hit the girl at least four times, he said: "See, I told you I would shut her up."

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Roger Stephens of Stone Mountain is charged with felony cruelty to children. It was unclear if he had an attorney and a telephone call to his home Wednesday was unanswered.

Authorities say the girl and her mother were shopping Monday when the toddler began crying. The police report says Stephens approached the mother and said, "If you don't shut that baby up, I will shut her up for you."

Authorities say Stephens then grabbed the 2-year-old and slapped her. The child began screaming and Stephens was arrested. Police say an examination showed the girl's face was slightly red.

A call to the girl's mother, identified in the police report as Sonya Mathews of Grayson, was answered by a woman who identified herself as Sabrina Mathis, the victim's aunt.

Mathis said Wednesday that the girl is doing fine.

"As of today, she has really forgotten about it," Mathis said. "She's been playing."

Mathis said the girl's mother was shaken up over the incident.

"She's as well as to be expected," Mathis said. "Right now she's just trying to calm down."

http://news.aol.com/article/man-slaps-child-in-walmart/653392

[jus1jess]

Sep. 4, 2009 at 10:41 AM

OMG! That's horrible. Kids cry sometimes. That happens. Kids are everywhere. So why this one incident of a crying child pissed this guy off so much is beyond me. His rudeness and violence were completely out of line. You can NOT hit someone else's child. You can NOT expect hitting a child to make them quiet (something too many idiots haven't figured out). You can NOT expect the crying child to just leave. If you want to avoid crying children, stay at a strip club, cause they're everywhere.

[Gruntlings]

Sep. 4, 2009 at 2:18 PM

What I don't understand is how the man managed to get close to the child without assaulting the mother. If someone said something like that to me, I would be inbetween that person and my child *so* fast. Heck, a drunk guy once threatened my dog and I got between my dog (a fiesty pitbull mix, no less) and the drunk guy. Even though my dog was better equipped to defend herself. :p I'd love to read more about what happened and the sequence of events. Did she think that he was joking?

[Gruntlings]

Sep. 4, 2009 at 2:19 PM

BTW, I totally agree that people need to be more understanding about small children. I try to be courteous and will take my son outside if at all possible, but sometimes there are things that just *need* to be done, and the timing is not optional.

[Destiny13]

Sep. 4, 2009 at 8:24 PM

What I don't understand is how the man managed to get close to the child without assaulting the mother.

I know right?! I was wondering the same thing! I can't find anything else about it. The mother hasn't been on the news to say anything about it. I was thinking "the guy wouldn't have even of gotten close to her if it were me.

(Original Poster)

[PennyLane88]

Sep. 5, 2009 at 11:56 AM

Jesus Christ!! I would had charges pressed against me for attacking the guy back. Sorry, but seriously, Shawn calls me his little tazmanion devil, "you're all cute and cuddly until backed into a corner" But the thing is, the new report said he said that to the mother, then later on, he walked up the same isle she was on and then went after the little girl. The Mother was probably just trying to get her shopping done so she could leave, I know how that is.

In my opinion, it's so wrong to hit any kid at any time. It's our job to teach out children what's right and what's wrong. And it's wrong to hit another person, you get arrested for it! But especially if someone is just upset. If this man had seen an adult in that Wal-Mart, who happened to be really upset because say, nothing had gone the way they wanted that day and they just didn't want to be there anymore but still had some thing to pick up, would he have slapped them? Nope, I don't think so!

So I thin kthe question we ought to be asking, is why do some people treat children so differently? Why do they think it's ok to smack a child around but would never do such a thing to another adult? If anything, we should be more careful and understanding about children because they are new to all of this! They are emotional virgins. They have to learn all these rules and there are so many of them. It's frustrating to me a lot of days and I've been doing it for more than two decades.

Some people just need to step back and really think about things sometimes. That poor man though, there's something wrong with him. The little girl will eventually be ok but who knows about him? I wish him luck, perspective and peace. Sorry for the really long comment lol.

[Destiny13]

Sep. 5, 2009 at 1:19 PM

I wish him luck, perspective and peace. Sorry for the really long comment lol.

Haha I don't know if I could have mustered up the strength to think that way in this situation. But I totally understand, and somewhat agree. I would have used different wwords, but cannot think of the ones I am looking for atm!

(Original Poster)