Friday, February 13, 2009

ACCESSORIZE WISELY


A child, terrorized by it's abusive mother, was crying in the back of the bus when I got on and I didn't have a tissue or handkerchief to hand to her. Her mother sat far away with her arms crossed, electric red faced. Don't get all argumentative with me, but she was Hispanic and I live in a mostly (well, now dwindling) Hispanic neighborhood and I see a lot of abuse from African American and Hispanic women towards their children. I'm not saying it happens because they are those ethnicities I'm just stating what I see a lot of. They say that when witnessing public child abuse to offer support and constructiveness or to focus the abusive parent on the lovable qualities of the child. The mother and daughter got off the bus and as soon as the bus door closed she had the girl by the the throat and was going to strike her. I got off the bus and tried to stop it. This is always a disaster and could lead to more abuse at home, unfortunately. They all always say "Don't tell me how to raise my child!" & "It's none of your business!" It is ALWAYS my business. The driver waited for me and I got back on the bus where I was greeted by a few (sorry they were) separate hispanic ladies who asked who I thought I was, told me that the child was out of control and that it wasn't my business. They were hot and hostile towards me. Once a woman I intervened with (after her "it's noyb" protest) said that if her husband was there he would knock me out. No doubt. I am going to have to accept my powerlessness in future situations, but if a child is so small and the abuser is so much bigger and I am so much bigger than the abuser, is there nothing that I can do (outside of being a bully as well)?


My friend understood my upset at this and how I was looking for simple monogram mens handkerchiefs and she found a whole stack of dead stock for me!

3 comments:

Tenn. said...

Rev there is a different code of ethics in the 'hood.. I feel like the women brutalize the kids because usually (65% of Black families, 45% of Latino families) are single parent (mom) households. so the rage is in the the fact the father is NOT there and everytime the mom sees the child , she is reminded of this, not only by the resemblance but other factors as well. I have seen it before and SO wanted to speak up but havent , what to do?
follow your heart and intellect , its never wrong nice post m8

twunty mcslore said...

I am so sorry that this kind of crap goes on and you had to witness it. My boyfriend reacts the same way when he sees this going on, whether it's a child or a pet.
He doesn't care if he goes to jail, but then again he is martial arts trained and can handle himself.
I am amazed at how the people who do this to their children don't even seem fazed by the fact that others are watching. If they act this way in public, what in the hell are they doing in the privacy of their own homes?

Reavis Eitel said...

Well I won't act violent towards the parent that's absurd. I have involved myself with reason etc. and it has always put people off and is definitely embarrassing for all and can cross up my mood for several hours while I'm really trying to get trough my day about the city. Fun stuff!