He Should Have Left The Store

When a man was shopping in a Wal-Mart store in Georgia, he became upset with a crying two year old child and approached the mother and her crying child and told the mother "If you don't shut the baby up, I will shut her up for you."

According the an article in CNN.com,
"A few moments later, while the mother and the crying child were in another aisle, Stephens allegedly grabbed the girl and slapped her across the face. Police said he hit her four or five times. "See, I told you I would shut her up," the suspect allegedly told the mother."

The man was arrested for first degree cruelty to children.

Whatever could be so difficult for someone, what circumstances in life could prompt someone to slap a child? A child unknown to him who obviously was herself not having a good day.

Stories like this one cause me distress for our communities and families in more and more difficulty financially, emotionally, mentally.

Perhaps if Mr. Roger Stephens had been able to restrain himself, get in touch with his inner self, see that he was overly anxious and that the child's crying was pushing his buttons of stress, and just left the store, he would have felt good about himself for acting in a mature manner. Instead, I'm afraid his problems are only beginning.

Hopefully, the mother and child have already gotten on with their lives and again, hopefully, the little girl is in a loving stable home where she is nurtured and cared for in a responsible way. My mother's heart is appalled that someone would hurt a two year old child.