Adrian Peterson Is Not a Racial Symbol

[XemaSab]

The news of NFL player Adrian Peterson’s arrest for child abuse came on the heels of a week focused on an act of domestic violence from another black football player. Some of his colleagues rushed to defend Peterson and suggest his charges were yet another example of our society’s widespread and unfair demonization of black men. “[Peterson] can’t play Sunday for disciplining his child[.] Jesus help us” tweeted fellow NFL player Roddy White. And running back Mark Ingram chimed in, arguing that his parents gave him “more whoopins” than he can count because “they just wanted [him] to be the best human possible.”

To be sure, the prevalent use of corporal punishment among African-Americans is no secret. Some scholars have argued that beating children in the black community serves as some sort of traumatic reenactment of the brutal violence experienced during slavery, a remnant of centuries-old barbarity.

But black people are not the only ones who use corporal punishment when it comes to disciplining their children. About 80 percent of white and Hispanic parents admit that they spank their kids, too. Lots of Christians defend it as a religious practice and in 19 states it’s still legal for teachers and staff to punish children with spankings at school.

So, when a black man gets arrested for an act that is still ambivalently upheld by our country’s legal and moral codes, many people wonder about the role that race might be playing.

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/09/adrian-peterson-is-not-a-symbol/380199/

[hughee99]

1. Is spanking really the same thing as hitting your 4 year old in the dick with a switch?

If Peterson had spanked his child, this wouldn't even have been a story.

[SunSeeker]

2. He ripped the skin off of a 4 year old's buttocks, thighs and genitals with a stick.

Peterson’s son had pushed another one of Peterson’s children off of a motorbike video game. As punishment, Peterson grabbed a tree branch – which he consistently referred to as a “switch” – removed the leaves and struck the child repeatedly.

The beating allegedly resulted in numerous injuries to the child, including cuts and bruises to the child’s back, buttocks, ankles, legs and scrotum, along with defensive wounds to the child’s hands. Peterson then texted the boy’s mother, saying that one wound in particular would make her “mad at me about his leg. I got kinda good wit the tail end of the switch.”

Peterson also allegedly said via text message to the child’s mother that he “felt bad after the fact when I notice the switch was wrapping around hitting I (sic) thigh” and also acknowledged the injury to the child’s scrotum in a text message, saying, “Got him in nuts once I noticed. But I felt so bad, n I’m all tearing that butt up when needed! I start putting them in timeout. N save the whooping for needed memories!”

http://houston.cbslocal.com/2014/09/12/exclusive-details-on-adrian-peterson-indictment-charges/

This was not discipline. That was torture.

And for what? For hogging a video game?

That is some sick shit.

[Number23]

3. What in the everloving hell...

Some scholars have argued that beating children in the black community serves as some sort of traumatic reenactment of the brutal violence experienced during slavery, a remnant of centuries-old barbarity.

I don't know if that's just poorly written or what but

[cali]

4. Ugh. Yeah, it's racist to condemn this pig for beating on his toddlers.

what bullshit.

[cwydro]

6. You said that perfectly.

Thank you because I'm so angry about this....

[cwydro]

5. This is child abuse.

Anybody making this about race is missing the point.

Good lord, this is horrendous.

[Nye Bevan]

7. According to some on DU, we need to consider the "racial context" of Peterson abusing his kids,

and if we do not, we are adopting a "privileged position".

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1187&pid=8717

I really don't see his race as a mitigating factor. Abusing kids is wrong, whatever your color.