Adrian Peterson's reported text messages reveal warped view of manhood that goes beyond NFL

[joeybee12]

One of the saddest and most revealing details about the Adrian Peterson child abuse allegations/indictment is this reported text exchange with the mother of one of the children who was whipped.

"… toughest of the bunch," Peterson wrote. "He got about five more pops than normal. He didn't drop one tear! So that was another indicator I'll have to try another system with him. SMH he's tough as nails …"

The mother replied: "Well you can't hit him til he cries! That's just mean. He's trying to be strong for you. He's afraid of you. He's 4, he's not playing mind games with you …"

Peterson was trying to make his child into a man before the boy can even form and express complete thoughts. He's even excited about the challenge, as if facing down a would-be tackler. The child is trying to prove his own mettle, probably because he wants his dad to be proud of him. It's the same thing Peterson did with his own father, as a child and into his college years, when he dazzled the football world with his toughness as his dad sat in jail.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/adrian-peterson-s-reported-text-messages-reveals-warped-view-of-manhood-that-goes-beyond-nfl-180045458-nfl.html

Irritates me to no end that some people are trying to make this just about spanking...

[jwirr]

1. That poor little boy. By the way what did Peterson's dad go to jail for?

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. Money laundering.

Drug money.

[jwirr]

10. And he wants to be like his dad? This man is very mixed up.

[99Forever]

2. Ahh yes..

... the "some people say" thing.

Nice.

Good to see that Fox News aren't the only ones using that tactic.

BTW, I live in the heart of Vikings land, wouldn't watch the NFL if you paid me, and don't know a single person around here defending Peterson. None. Even the hardcore football fans are happy he's been banned from playing.

[erpowers]

8. The OP Is Right

There are a number of people on DU, TV, and elsewhere who have tried to make this case solely about spanking and discipline. There are numerous articles and posts trying to explain away Adrian Peterson's actions by claiming this is just a case of a black man doing what his parents did to him and what other black parents did to their children.

I think the media has been a part of the problem by not separating spanking from abuse. I do not think I have heard one news anchor, or reporter say this is not a debate about whether, or not to spank a child, but about the fact that a man hit a child with an object until the child bleed.

[Generic Brad]

11. They are making the distinction on KFAN radio

Dan Barrero and Paul Allen, the voice of the Vikings, have been adamant that what happened to that child was abuse. That is what the sports fans are hearing repeatedly on the radio.

[roguevalley]

12. I think this is about a skewed vision of what makes

a man a man. This man grew up in a culture where if you showed weakness which included honest feelings you were a coward, you were weak and not a man. I feel sorry for everyone here but I am doing cartwheels that the little boy won't have to endure more of this shit. Hurting a baby continues the cycle. All of them have had poor role models growing up. I would never allow him around the babies again. EVER.

[tularetom]

3. I did the same thing when I got spanked as a kid but it wasn't to prove how tough I was

It was to wear them down so they'd get tired of doing it and stop. For some reason I sensed that if I screamed or cried they would believe the spankings were effective, so I was determined not to give them the satisfaction.

And I was right. Shortly before my mom died in 2003 I asked her why she didn't spank my brother or sister as much as me. Her reply was that they were much less troublesome (IMO they were just a lot sneakier). Then I asked her why she quit doing it and she answered that it never seemed to do any good. They measured the effectiveness of the spankings by my reaction (or lack of one). They wanted a tearful response so that they could confirm that the discipline was working.

I think what really happened was that they matured as parents and realized how ridiculous it was to spank a 12 year old kid.

[tazkcmo]

7. I tried that ONCE

After thre swats with the belt I didn't cry. My mother got super pissed and wailed away hitting me on my bare back and thighs. I got the message.

[Wellstone ruled]

5. Amazing how much of a

personality of one can be gleaned from text messages and Face Book postings. Wow,narcissistic person,very common among athletes. To many it's a chance to change their social status and escape family disfunctionality.

[lunatica]

6. Well when you beat your kids it's a test of who's in power

if your kid refuses to cry then he's defying you and you have to beat him harder. You can substitute the 'he' to a 'she'.

From the severity of the wounds I'd say Adrian Peterson has beat his 4 year old before and the kid not crying was what led to the severity. Mr. Peterson would have finally won when his child was dead.

[Fred Sanders]

9. The NFL hires beasts, the beastier the better. Why all the shock? Not as if the Romans perfected it.

[morningfog]

13. The NFL causes brain damage. Studies show the concussions cause brain damage

that lead to aggression and inability to regulate emotion or control impulse.

[awoke_in_2003]

14. and steroids don't help. nt

[Jenoch]

15. As more information comes out about

how Peterson 'disciplines' his children (are they all boys?), I think his chances of returning to playing in the NFL are reduced, at least I hope so. While I believe his 'discipline' is learned behavior, and a behavior not uncommon in the south, that is no excuse.

[GusBob]

16. the other texts that came up from him were full of misprints grammatical errors

Were these edited?

[a kennedy]

17. I just want it all to stop... The violence to any living thing.