I hope so. I'm sure you are right. As you can imagine Andy, I see myself in that Dad's place.

I panic to near tears just thinking about it.

Shouldn't it be WHOM??? LOL

Love ya Robbie.

BJK - I agree that the DESIRE for revenge is counter-productive, but as a father, when you see your child in danger, it is not premeditated or rational, it is a base, animal like reaction that makes you want to protect your baby. I cannot fault the father in this instance... if he had waited until the guy got off work and jumped him, or followed him home, or made threats after the fact - that would be a different story -

Just my two-cents as a dad and a survivor.

Dan

PS, my brother is a police captain, and I remember a few years ago an 80 year old was caught stealing. Everyone recommended he be treated lightly due to his age... my brother said, "A crime is a crime and I will fight for the maximum punishment"... I really respected that!

So lets all just do what we want out of anger and instinct. It'll be the prehistoric era all over again! Woo!

Unga bunga. LOL

An acquaintance of mine has a son too. When his son was five, the 15 yo neighbor boy SAed him. The 5 yo told dad.

DAD did the wrong thing. He went next door to the 15 yo's house and pummeled him. My acquaintance went to prison for a couple of years. Even HE says it was right for him to go to prison. HE WAS NOT PROTECTING HIS SON FROM IMMENENT DANGER. I agree. It was a crime in and of itself...and that result is fully required if we are to be a nation built upon values and their laws.

In MANY states in the USA, you have the right to use deadly force to rescue/return a person from immanent danger/harm. Massachusetts is not one of those states.


Does this mean we can wear loin-cloth now?

SHIT!!! He's right!!!!

So much for my Massachuestts edukation.

Don't you just love it when young punks point these things out!

Feel like there are bias's in the asnswer's here, but then I was ready and willing to go to jail just a month ago. Stupid emotion's. Feel like now that I have made the right decision, but at the time my feeling's were just plain old stupid and prehistoric, right Andy?

If only I could have been perfect, right Andy, good thing what she told me happened 10 years ago or I wouldn't have been as perfect as you Andy, but then you know what it's like to be given a second chance. Maybe those Father's deserve that too.

It's not about being perfect, it's about what matter's, and my perfect innocent child will trump you're mistake everyday. Yes, you deserve another chance, but expect to pay that price, that's what every person who made a mistake should expect. Expecting that might stop people as innocent and beautiful as my child from losing a lifetime. Know you understand this Andy, now understand it MORE!!!!!

I will go to jail, that's what I felt at the time. I would hope that at least I'm understood and then I will go do my time.

Stay strong Andy, I feel you, care for you and love you. Feel me too Bro

Mike

Andy, this is going to suck, but I really want to have a talk with you about prehistoric behavior.

You just rubbed me very very wrong Andy.

Mike

Nevermind...nothing I say here matters anyway....so what's the point of saying it...

I'll hop in here too.

My kids had an incedent yesterday down at the river where they swim. A drunk dude was bothering them but the police were on his ass directly. Had I arrived there 5 minutes earlier to check up on them, he'd have gone face-first off the bridge and I'd probably be in jail.

What Andy is saying here is that knee-jerk reaction can go against public policy (law) and cost both parties dearly.

I identify with the Dad in the news story. My knee-jerk reaction may have been the same. Either way, public policy keeps us all from bashing each other's heads in with rocks when we get pissed.

It may seem unfair, but courts must maintain a basis for civilization. When we choose to pummel a perp, we ought not be surprised when the handcuffs go on US.