My Statement To Clarify My Remarks Regarding the Adrian Peterson case (posted on kendrickforgeorgia as well) Child abuse is wrong. The use of excessive force against a child is wholly unacceptable and indefensible. Discipline should be designed to improve behavior, not to vent anger or frustration. With that said, I would like to clarify my comments that were made on my Facebook page regarding the Adrian Peterson case, the NFL player accused of abusing his 4 year old son. I do not support child abuse in any way, shape or form. Period. However, based solely on the photo shown, I commented on the valid use of corporal punishment. I do believe that parents may utilize corporal punishment as a legal means to discipline their children, and such punishment must be distinguished from child abuse. Parents and others hold differing views about the use of corporal punishment and what constitutes child abuse, and I support their right to reject corporal punishment on their own children. My post spoke to my support of reasonable corporal punishment, given that I was raised by parents who used this method of discipline. I truly believe I became a productive citizen because of their methods. I respect the decision of every parent who does not want to use corporal punishment to discipline their children. As additional details and facts emerge on the Peterson case, we must all reserve judgement about the validity of his actions. The allegations against him are severe and should not be diminished based on anecdote or conjecture. As I stated in my Facebook comments, if the allegations are true then his actions turned from corporal punishment, which I support, to physical abuse, which is indefensible. Parents hold the superior obligation to protect their children, even from themselves. I hope this clears up any misunderstandings. Sincerely, Rep. Darshun Kendrick dkendrick@kendrickforgeorgia (404) 656-0109
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 22:44:27 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015