This time the perp got arrested. Wyoming State Representative Bob Nicholas (R- Laramie) was arrested late November after kicking and beating his son outside of a Florida restaurant while vacationing.
http://www.addictinginfo.org/...
Just like the incident where Texas judge William Adams beat his daughter with a belt, Nicholas denies any wrongdoing.
This is an instance of perception and reality being two very different thing
He also said
Patrons at the restaurant obviously felt that I was being too physical with him and called law enforcement. Not knowing the circumstances, I may have done the same thing.
Another similarity to the Adams situation is that Nicholas' son suffers from a disability. He is prone to seizures and has a condition similar to autism, according to the article I linked above.
Nicholas' actions are subject to a third-degree felony charge. He was released on $20000 bail, and intends to fight the charges.
I couldn't find any links showing Nicholas' politics, but being from Wyoming, I don't think it would be unreasonable to guess that he is a "family values" Republican. There's not necessarily a hard link between being a right-winger and being abusive towards those in your charge, but, is there something about "law and order" and "spare the rod, spoil the child" that some take way too seriously?
I mean, even if his 19-year-old son was being difficult, does that ever justify punching him, pushing him, kicking him several times - leaving abrasions and welts on his neck as well as a mark on his ribcage resembling the shape of a shoe? I hope he doesn't assert he was acting in "self-defense".
Hopefully Nicholas will receive a severe punishment from this. If the Wyoming State Legislature won't discipline him, will there be enough Wyoming residents with enough of a sense of decency to demand accountability from him on this? Wyoming is my state's neighbor to the north, and is notoriously right-wing. It is, after all, the site of Matthew Shepherd's fatal beating. I would like to believe, however, that even conservatives in that state won't stand for that kind of behavior - particularly from a public official representing a college town.
I know I added "child abuse" as one of the tags on a diary about assault on someone that may not legally be considered a "child". I don't know what the Wyoming and Florida statutes are for someone who suffers a condition like Nicholas' son.
Maybe one thing we all need to occupy is our own emotions and self-control. I can be guilty of violent thoughts and have exploded in anger before, but stories like this make me think about what I can do to not contribute to that kind of culture - where violence is an acceptable solution to problems.