Adrian Peterson benched for punishing his son.

[Gridiron]

Vikings RB Adrian Peterson indicted on child abuse

Such hypocritical posturing by the NFL mucketymucks.
This country should no longer be considered Christian.
Spare the rod and spoil the child has been cast aside.
The current corporate direction is to empower women over men and children over adults.
It is so sad how fast we are going down the drain.

[NickyJ]

Using tree branches to whip children is too far. A simple spanking with the hand is fine, and the threat of it kept me in line fine, but when you turn to other objects to do it for you, that's taking it too far.

[RevanFan]

Personally, I've always been against spanking. I don't think physical violence against children is ever necessary, plus saying I believe all spanking is child abuse kept my parents from threatening it. But, no matter my views, I know parents will always spank their children, but using an object like that is well over the edge of reason.

[Danchat]

Vikings RB Adrian Peterson indicted on child abuse

Such hypocritical posturing by the NFL mucketymucks.
This country should no longer be considered Christian.
Spare the rod and spoil the child has been cast aside.
The current corporate direction is to empower women over men and children over adults.
It is so sad how fast we are going down the drain.

I'm not sure if he's guilty.... I mean, I'm not defending him just because I'm a rabid Vikings fan, it's because of the charges. Here's the office charge: "The charged conduct involves using a switch to spank his son."
That doesn't sound like child abuse, but then again, who knows what the truth is at this point. He could definitely be guilty of something horrible or he could be innocent. As a fan, I am prepared to accept either fate.

What you say, Gridiron, does have a ring of truth to it. Remember how big the social media is and how many news stories we can receive at once. Bad things like this have always been happening. But I must agree that things do seem to be spiraling downwards.

[Gridiron]

Thank goodness Minnesota is not playing a Texas team this week.

Using tree branches to whip children is too far. A simple spanking with the hand is fine, and the threat of it kept me in line fine, but when you turn to other objects to do it for you, that's taking it too far.

The child empowering corporate media slyly changed the word "switch" to "branch" to elicit certain emotions from simple minded people.
It worked.
I think one has to be pretty gullible to actually believe Adrian used a branch.
The indictment is reportedly related to Peterson disciplining his son with a switch

switch \"swich\ n 1 : a slender flexible whip, rod, or twig

I'm not sure if he's guilty.... I mean, I'm not defending him just because I'm a rabid Vikings fan, it's because of the charges. Here's the office charge: "The charged conduct involves using a switch to spank his son."
That doesn't sound like child abuse, but then again, who knows what the truth is at this point. He could definitely be guilty of something horrible or he could be innocent. As a fan, I am prepared to accept either fate.

What you say, Gridiron, does have a ring of truth to it. Remember how big the social media is and how many news stories we can receive at once. Bad things like this have always been happening. But I must agree that things do seem to be spiraling downwards.

Guilty of spanking or otherwise severely beating his kid's arse?
OK, that's part of being a good dad.
Guilty of child abuse?
Hell, no.
Government prosecutors have no common sense, and are fully out of control.

[Danchat]

Gridiron, I agree with you that spanking should not be illegal.
However, I found an article with some in depth details, and you should take a look.
http://vikingsjournal.com/topic/332-article-report-adrian-peterson-indicted/

[Gridiron]

Thanks for the link Danchat, that blog presents the details in a fair manner.
After reading it, my assessment that Adrian seems like a good father was reinforced.
My guess is his accidently hitting those knutts probably hurt Mr. Peterson almost as much mentally, as it hurt the boy physically,
and that interaction certainly should not be considered as a felonious assault.

Call me a troglodyte, but unless the parent cuts, or stabs, or burns, or shoots the child, or breaks a bone then I'm going to back the parent's discipline.

Just as too many cooks will spoil the broth, the government authorities intervening in between a father and child will likely spoil the child.

[Sidelion]

Vikings RB Adrian Peterson indicted on child abuse

Such hypocritical posturing by the NFL mucketymucks.
This country should no longer be considered Christian.
Spare the rod and spoil the child has been cast aside.
The current corporate direction is to empower women over men and children over adults.
It is so sad how fast we are going down the drain.

This country was never "Christian", and even if it was, that doesn't mean "Christian" is synonymous with "morally right". ("...the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen." - Treaty of Tripoli, 1797)

http://www.unh.edu/news/cj_nr/2009/sept/lw25straus.cfm - Beating children makes them dumber and more violent.

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs290/en/ ; http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/e ... 3-2005.jpg - Really?

A FOUR year old child. How is a FOUR year old child supposed to be perfect? How is this warranted, this level of violence against a small child?

[Gridiron]

This country was never "Christian", and even if it was, that doesn't mean "Christian" is synonymous with "morally right". ("...the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen." - Treaty of Tripoli, 1797)

http://www.unh.edu/news/cj_nr/2009/sept/lw25straus.cfm - Beating children makes them dumber and more violent.

"IQs of children ages 2 to 4 who were not spanked were 5 points higher four years later than the IQs of those who were spanked. The IQs of children ages 5 to 9 years old who were not spanked were 2.8 points higher four years later than the IQs of children the same age who were spanked."
Their conclusion (Beating children makes them dumber and more violent.) is exactly bassackwards!!!
It's the smarter children that don't get spanked.

A FOUR year old child. How is a FOUR year old child supposed to be perfect? How is this warranted, this level of violence against a small child?

The introduction of an unrelated question into a discussion is often referred to as a "red herring" and I'll place your first question into that rhetorical bucket.
Your second more honest question I will address with two observations,
1) We were not there and can not answer it, 2) the level of violence brought against Adrian Peterson by the state's prosecutor is not warranted.
Did you read where the prosecutor's desire to persecute Mr. Peterson was rejected by the first grand jury?

[Sleeper66]

Guilty of spanking or otherwise severely beating his kid's arse?
OK, that's part of being a good dad.

Severe beatings are part of good parenting? What's the weather like in 1953?

I was spanked as a kid: open hands, belts, switches, the whole nine yards. My souvenir was welts (at worst). I never received lacerations/bruises from being a "bad boy." So I guess my dad wasn't trying hard enough?

I have no objection to the occasional spanking, but what this kid appears to have gotten goes well beyond that.