Last week this story broke out of the Metro Atlanta area and was carried on news and blogs across the nation.
A Gwinnett County man is in custody accused of slapping a stranger’s crying toddler in a Stone Mountain Wal-Mart on Monday. Sonya Mathews, the mother of the 2-year-old child, told police that both were walking in the aisles of the Rockbridge Road store when Roger Stephens, 61, approached and said “if you don’t shut that baby up, I will shut her up for you,” according to a police report.
This morning Roger Stephens, the accused baby slapper, waived his bond hearing and opted to stay in jail for now. According to Jennifer Leslie (twitter.com/jleslie11alive) from 11Alive News in Atlanta, Stephens court appointed attorney said Stephens is too poor to post bond.
The Flip Side
I understand why Mr. Stephens wanted to slap the child. I can’t count the number of times that I’ve been shopping, in the airport or (the worst) on an airplane near a crying or screaming toddler. I’ve wanted to slap hundreds of children and their parents. However, I have enough sense to know that I have no authority over another person’s child, especially a stranger’s.
I don’t know what Mr. Stephens was thinking but I bet he’ll think next time – if there is a next time. He has been charged with a felony: cruelty to children. If convicted, Mr. Stephens could spend a long time in jail. If he is fortunate enough to get probation, I don’t think he will accost any more crying children.
What Would You Have Done?
I went to a wedding on Saturday and my table had a discussion about this while we were waiting for the bridal party to arrive at the reception. Overwhelmingly, the mothers and fathers at the table had the same response. “If that had been my child, I probably would have gone to jail too.”
I’m really glad that I was not the parent or grandparent involved in that situation. I know for a fact that a can of green beans or a bottle of milk would have been upside that man’s head before I had time to think about it. For all those people out there who say violence is not the way to solve a problem. I agree. But in this case, it would have been quite satisfying!
Did it work? I’d said mom Mathews got lucky – if a child is wailing to the extent someone had to say something, someone else was calling the police on her – I’ve had my cell phone out!