2002-09-05 - 3:57 p.m.

Things that Bug Me

Earlier this week I went on a hunt for the Toys R Us re-releases of the classic transformer toys with Redwood. This are old school robots in disguise, and pretty damn cool. Anyway, while eating dinner at a Carl's Jr. a kid about my age and his two 6-year old twin sons came in.

So I'm busy eating my "real" burger, when I hear the dad character start to yell at his sons, "We came here to eat, not buy toys. Shut up and let's eat, if we wanted toys, we'd go somewhere else." The kids must have whined more, because the dad started to throw a tantrum and screamed, "That's it, we'll just go somewhere else." Redwood and I were the only two other people in the place at the time, so I don't know why this guy was having a hissy fit.

Violence?

The dad continued to complain about the food once they got it. It was pissing me off, but I had to ask Redwood to leave the minute I saw the dad yell at one of his sons, raise his hand, swing it most of the way in anger towards his son, only to stop his fist inches from his son's face and growl. I might play growl and talk about stomping things, but it is all play. The kid ducked his head and started crying. The kid was totally afraid that his dad was going to hit him.

I don't know what life is like for that family, but I never remember being afraid that my parents would beat me in public. Worse, how is that kid going to grow up? When he is frustrated, will he throw things, yell at people, and growl?

It isn�t my place to judge, because I don�t know those people from jack. I have no idea what their stories are, but the few minutes I saw seemed about two seconds from crossing a very serious line. Domestic violence like that bothers me.

LISTENING TO: Depeche Mode Some Great Reward

-=-

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