My Target incident

This past Sunday afternoon Ella was feeling better so we all went to Target to pick up the regular baby needs...formula, diapers, and wipes. As soon as we got out of our car and started walking into the store, I heard this man screaming at his kids. And, whenever I hear anything like this my ears perk up and I have to see what is going on. Well, this time the dad was jumping out of his two-door car and jerked up the front seat up and was bending over into the backseat of the car. He was using language I would never use much less yell at a child. He told the child he was going to put his fist through his face, along with some choice cuss words. I figured this was a young child because I couldn't see his/her head above the seat. By this time Todd, who is holding Ella, and I are just a little bit away from the car which is parked in a handicapped spot in front of the store. I tell Todd that I'm not going inside until I know this man isn't going to hit the child. So, I'm standing there watching and waiting. I have my gameplan ready to call the police first, then get the information to the child abuse hotline, after getting the license plate information and a good physical description of the man. But, the man stops yelling, and is getting back into the front seat. So, as he is turning around he sees me looking as I'm turning around. So, I turn back around so he will know that I saw him screaming at his kids. This makes him mad. He starts yelling at me that I need to mind my own business. I told him that I was just making sure he didn't hit his kids like he said he was going to do. He told me that it's not my business and if he wants to pull his belt off and spank them, he would. I told him that I was not worried about him spanking his children, but rather hitting on them because there is a difference. He kept telling me that it's none of my business, and Todd stepped in and said that since he is in a public place it's not a private matter. Of course when Todd got involved the man stepped forward to us. Just as this is happening, a lady comes up from behind asking the man what he has done. He tells her that one of the kids took a toy away from the other kid, and he was getting on to them for it. He also tells her that I was being nosy and getting into his business. I told her that I was just watching to make sure he was going to hit the child like he said he was going to do. She asked me what he had said so I told her, and he piped in that he only said he was going to bust the glass out and not hit the child. The lady looks at him and told him that she couldn't believe he would do and say that, and they walked toward their car. As we are walking away, the lady yells thank you to me. A friend's husband walks up at this point and teases us that we are picking fights in the parking lot. I'm not sure what he was doing, but he wasn't going in the store so I guess he was coming to check on us. All of this took place in just a minute or two.

I didn't think much about what I did, except for getting on my soapbox about the man's behavior, until Todd came home last night talking about it. He was a little embarrassed by us standing in a parking lot getting into an argument with a stranger about what he was or was not going to do to his child. I was not embarrassed at all, and still not, about what happened. I think there are too many people who do not say anything when they see something happening that is clearly wrong. I felt very comfortable that the man was not going to anything to me for saying something to him. I just couldn't stand by and let a child get abused and do nothing. I also hope the child learned that the man's behavior is wrong, and will tell someone if the man does something to him. And, thinking back, there are some things that I may want to change that I said to him to maybe help clarify or explain why I was doing what I was doing.

As most of you know I worked for nearly 7 years, until Ella was born, as a child abuse investigator for the Arkansas State Police. Although I complained about parts of the job, I really did enjoy it. And, I can't imagine working and doing something else. I think this will always be a part of me, and I'm glad about that.