Sam Malone.....Poor family values, or political lynching?

[JohnnyRingo]

First, let's meet Sam Malone:



http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/council/pages/-7155-/

And the original story about the abuse of his 14 year old son:

Police arrested a Cincinnati city councilman Sam Malone early Saturday morning and charged him with domestic violence for allegedly beating his son.

Malone, 34, pleaded innocent to the misdemeanor charge and was released from the Hamilton County Justice Center.

His son is staying with a relative after a judge instituted a temporary restraining order prohibiting Malone from having contact with him.

Doctors contacted authorities after treating Malone's 14-year-old son at an area hospital Friday night.

<Read entire article>
http://www.wcpo.com/news/2005/local/05/15/malone.html

Then the next day, a more detailed account of the incident:

Differing views have emerged on why Cincinnati Council Member Sam Malone was charged with domestic violence for disciplining his son by whipping him on the back with a belt.

Malone says the charge stems from a "bitter custody fight" with his late wife's family.

The Enquirer quotes the boy's aunt as calling it abuse.

It's now up to a municipal court judge and jury. Until the May 31st hearing, the issue remains in the court of public opinion.

http://www.wcpo.com/news/2005/local/05/16/malone.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I was going to post this as a "typical Republican Family Values" issue, but I wonder how much of the story is based on the fact that he's an African-American Republican in Cincinnati.
That's definitely a short time vocation.

Then again, when you're kid ends up with visible marks, it's not a "discipline problem", It's a self-discipline problem.

Was it legitimate abuse?.....or was it blown out of proportion?

[Syrinx]

1. I think "lynching" may be a poor choice of words

Besides, I thought Sam Malone was a bar owner in Boston?

[JohnnyRingo]

2. Oh Yeah.....I was thinkin' there were "babes" invovled.

Hahahaha

Fox™ would be on top of it.

[Syrinx]

3. I don't know what you mean by that

I realize that Cincinnati has a history of racial problems. But nothing you've presented here suggests such. If you believe that Mr. Malone has been targeted because of his race, please make the case. But child abuse is a serious issue, and should be treated as such. Black people are capable of doing bad things too. If you feel that Mr. Malone has been treated badly, just tell us why. Maybe there is a backstory that is not commonly known.

[misanthrope]

4. I think he was referring to...

...the character of Sam Malone from the sitcom "Cheers" who was an admitted lothario.

[JohnnyRingo]

5. And Sam was infatuated with...

the "Babes"

I understood the coincidence, but I wonder if the story of Sam Malone's dicipline of his 14 year old son was tantamount to abuse, or if it's a media-driven event, devised by consevative Cincinatti republicans in the effort to "purge" the city council of diversity.

Even their own.

[Syrinx]

6. who isn't infatuated with babes?

I don't really understand what your point is. A man is accused of child abuse. The boy's aunt (whom I suppose is probably black too, but I don't know that for a fact) is a party to the complaint. And you seem to imply that this is a conspiracy by that town's "white establishment" to bring the man down. You've got to do better than that. You only hurt the fight against real racism when you bring forth nebulous charges spun out of whole cloth.

[JohnnyRingo]

7. I'm not really trying to race bait.

I read the first article early today. My first thought was that he was a republican hypocrite. The article was very slanted against the father.

Then later I read the second story (different paper) indicating that the lad called the police himself, reporting the abuse himself, and presumably admitted himself to the hospital with the aid of the father's sister in law.

I was considering the possibility that the original story was released in an attempt at political homicide by the very conservative media in Cincinnati against a popular African American councilman.......Or maybe he is simply an abusive parent who shelters himself beneath the "Party of Values" umbrella.

Frankly, I'm not sure. It's Cincinnati.

[Syrinx]

8. I hear you

Maybe you'll think that I'm racist for the following comment, but I hope not. I'm especially watchful about black Republicans. It seems that in most cases, and according to basic logic, black Republicans ARE traitors of a sort. I know nothing about Sam Malone, and I hope he is a nice fellow, and that he is treated fairly. But I cannot understand how black people can affirm their loyalty to a party that DOES want to see them seated, permanently, at the back of the figurative bus.

Good luck to Mr. Malone, but more so, good luck to that person destined to take his place when election time rolls around.

[Connie_Corleone]

9. I don't care if he's a republican.

Black republicans are pretty visible in Cincinnati. The local Democratic Party is the one that needs to shape up. They act more like Republicans than Democrats.

There's bad blood between the two families because the boy has a trust fund from a lawsuit filed in regards to his mother's death in a car/bus accident.

From people I know, Sam Malone is a decent guy who believes children should respect their parents.

As far as the belt whoopin', it's pretty common in the black community. I know I had a few growing up. And there will be marks left if you're jumping around trying to avoid being hit on the behind with the belt.

Some people think it's not appropriate, some people think it is.