NC: another parenting horror - boy tied to tree 'for punishment' dies

I'm speechless!

I have raised two sons and have a 13 yr old son at present.  One son is ADHD and one had a bout of depression (dr said it was more physically related).  My youngest is typical teen but 'way to smart.

As many interesting times I have had raising my sons I would never, ever consider that sort of torture as a form of discipline.

What is wrong with this couple?  Are they ignorant or unintelligent?  How in the name of all the gods could they do this?  

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by: Zorya @ Sun Jun 15, 2008 at 11:30:23 AM CDT

More evidence...

...of the need for parenting licenses.

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by: johnbinpt @ Sun Jun 15, 2008 at 11:33:09 AM CDT

Just because you can reproduce

Doesn't necessarily mean you should!

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by: juicyjuice @ Sun Jun 15, 2008 at 11:50:28 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

"Parenthood makes you a better person!"

My nephew's mother (a raving fundie loon) used to squeal that at me at every opportunity.  I am single, pro-choice, and have no intention of having children.

When she finally said that "all real women want children," I started sending her every case of child abuse I came across.

She finally shut up, but I think I'll send her this one anyway.  As for poor Tyler, dear God, what a nightmare that child suffered.


Well, I say that work is hell--o, boss!

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by: Gemina13 @ Sun Jun 15, 2008 at 14:56:58 PM CDT

historical note

Being tied to a tree or pole is a form of 'torture until death' best known my it's Roman name: crucifixtion. The irony, it burns.

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by: pluky @ Sun Jun 15, 2008 at 15:26:15 PM CDT

arrgh!

I hate it when I use "it's" for "its"!

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by: pluky @ Sun Jun 15, 2008 at 15:27:11 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

But it's god's law

It's biblical parenting. Disobedient children should be killed:

If  a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother...all the men of the city shall stone him with stones, that he die.... (Deut. 21:18, 21)

Yet another reason why literal interpretation of a book written 2000-3000 years ago is just a bad idea.

Cause any fool knows, a dog needs a home; a shelter from pigs on the wing

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by: QueerInSoCal @ Sun Jun 15, 2008 at 15:46:57 PM CDT

"The children were homeschooled, and the family kept to themselves"

Yep, that about says it all.

This is why the practice of "homeschooling" needs to be abolished. Society has a right to demand that children are educated and socialized in a uniform and heathy manner.

If these nuts want to raise their children like animals, they should move to the Artic wilderness. At least we won't have to deal with the mess they make. You can't demand the comforts and benefits of living in society without conforming to reasonable standards. Society requires parents to provide health, safety, and education for the children the choose to bring into it.

When you look for the bad in mankind, expecting to find it, you surely will.

- Abraham Lincoln.

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by: Fritz @ Sun Jun 15, 2008 at 15:58:39 PM CDT

Homeschooling

I really hate to see homeschooling painted with the looney brush.  There are many sane, rational families who homeschool their kids - the loonies just get the press because it's sensational.

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by: Zorya @ Sun Jun 15, 2008 at 16:27:49 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

It's not the home-schooling per se, it's the lack of witnesses...

If a child is educated at home and has little occasion to meet other human beings, then myriad abuses can go unnoticed.  

School teachers and administrators at both public and religious schools are trained to notice signs of abuse and are required by law to report them to authorities.

Home-schooling thus removes any possibility of a third party with an obligation to report from being able to do so.

I offer a compromise:  Allow home-schooling, but mandate surprise visits from social workers trained to spot signs of physical abuse.  Problem solved, everyone is happy.

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by: Storm @ Sun Jun 15, 2008 at 16:46:25 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Except for some of the home-schoolers

who would view this as 'Big Brother' trying to stick his nose into their business. Of course, they'll convienently ignore the fact that they stick their noses in the business of others.

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by: AggieCowboy @ Sun Jun 15, 2008 at 17:11:30 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I Homeschool

our middle child because he was having such a rough time at school with bullying from his classmates. He went to public school for 6 years and was bullied almost from day one. The last year he got so upset one day over being bullied that he came close to throwing a desk across the classroom. After that, my partner and I (with his teachers and counselor's approval) decided to try homeschooling this past year. He still went to the school for one class (French), but I taught him everything else. The biggest problem I had was finding homeschool material to use that wasn't completely religious oriented, especially Science. I really didn't want to teach him creationist Science. I had to rely a great deal on the internet for ideas and lessons.
Not all homeschooled children are kept out of school for religious reasons, but you certainly wouldn't know it from the books and materials being offered to homeschoolers. I am so sorry to hear about this poor child. I hope his parents never see the light of day again.

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by: Fiona @ Sun Jun 15, 2008 at 17:55:51 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Actually, I hope they do see the light of day...

through the bars of a prison cell.

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by: AggieCowboy @ Sun Jun 15, 2008 at 18:32:46 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

They will never know freedom again...

Certainly, these two will receive sentences longer than the remainder of their expected lifetimes.

And, they won't be very popular in prison either.  As a matter of fact, child abusers are considered the lowest of the low in prison -- their lives will not be easy and they will most likely live in fear every second of every day -- much like their son did.  There is a true measure of justice in that.

They've made their bed, now they must lie in it.

I've heard a lot of horror stories in my lifetime, but this one is one of the worst I can remember.  I honestly feel that any judge and jury will feel likewise.

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by: Storm @ Sun Jun 15, 2008 at 20:44:32 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I wish I could say this was one of the worst

I've heard a lot of horror stories in my lifetime, but this one is one of the worst I can remember.

You've not worked with Transsexual or Intersexed people then.

Sorry, but it's true. It's unusual inasmuch as the victim died, but otherwise par for the course.

I got off lucky, and had parents who were decent people. Many don't. A lot of disappearances of IS or TS teens are because their bodies have been buried after "honor killings".

There is no situation so complex it can't get even worse

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by: ZoeB @ Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 00:24:14 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I've got a feeling...

...that authoritarian religiosity is involved here.  If that's the case, there's your problem, not homeschooling.

Specifically, his parents probably have a paranoid fear of "worldly" permissiveness, and so they decided tying him to a tree to cure his sassy backtalk was somehow appropriate.  The same fear would likely be what drove them to home school--and what drives many people to home school.  But that fear isn't what drives everyone who home schools to do so.

"Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will Maintain" -- Iowa state motto

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by: Sportin' Life @ Sun Jun 15, 2008 at 22:37:00 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yes, it's "authoritarian religiosity"

Your phrase perfectly captures it, Sportin' Life. And you are right about fear driving these people to homeschool their kids. I knew a family like that who homeschooled their 5 or 6 children from K to graduation. The couple was well-known for their very vocal advocacy of parents' "right" to spank.

I have 4 daughters: two are adults, two are middle-school students. They are all wonderful. And they were never spanked, or beaten, or even verbally berated.

I homeschooled the older girls for two years. It was an incredible family experience that was not done out of fear. Some families homeschool for good reasons and have good outcomes from it. Just because criminals like these parents took advantage of the homeschool option does not mean that homeschooling is the problem.

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by: LAwaters27 @ Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 09:20:30 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

"Discipline"

A news story from a neighboring town this morning:
"READING | A 61-year-old Reading woman is jailed because police say she beat her 16-year-old granddaughter severely after finding her in bed with another girl.

Joyce Beddell is charged with aggravated and simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and endangering the welfare of a child.

Police say Beddell's granddaughter suffered serious bruises to her legs and buttocks during Thursday's assault with a cane and a belt. The other girl fled from the house before the beating began."

"Beddell told police she had done nothing wrong and should be allowed to discipline her granddaughter as she wishes."

We are obviously not talking about discipline here. These are people with criminal, tyrannical needs for control.

Now it is their turn to be "disciplined."

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by: LAwaters27 @ Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 09:06:01 AM CDT

I am sick of these kind of people....

I wanted to throw up - then cry for the loss of this young and tortured life.

I raised two foster sons and later married (I was severally closeted) and had two of my own.

I cannot imagine speaking ill to a child much less anything more than a swat on the bottom or on the hand. The cruelest I have ever been was to take all electronics away from my son (TV, computer, telephone, gameboys, etc) for two weeks for lying to me about his homework. And worse yet, take away my daughters cell phone.

I was a beast for the cruel and usual punishment. What do you call these people who tie their child (regardless of the age to a tree? I feel a tremendous amount of loss for the kid, even not knowing him.  I hope there are no siblings and these parents lose everything including their freedom.

BTW: my kids never like being grounded but they have time over how much they feel loved and cherished by their ole man. Makes this ole queen tear up!

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by: eddie94603 @ Thu Jun 26, 2008 at 14:57:15 PM CDT