8 replies to this topic

[Pasidon]

Here's a recent piece of news from the never-ceasing state of Texas that's actually not-so recent. Judge William Adams catches his daughter downloading illegal music from the internet, and gives her quite a beating with a leather belt. And for a bonus, his wife joins in on beating her at a certain point. This happened in 2004 and the girl JUST posted the video online without even turning it into the authorities. Keep in mind that the girl hid the camera in plan for the Judge to beat her as well. Justified? Unjustified? Something fishy about this?

Edited by {IP}Pasidon, 09 November 2011 - 11:55 PM.

[Beowulf]

Parents disciplining their child; not a big deal. Parents using spanking as a form of discipline; not a problem either. However, this is not discipline. This was straight up physical and mental abuse. There's no excuse for the father's behavior especially. He should be beaten with clubs into submission like they tried to do. I'm all for parents enforcing their rules, but this went well beyond any reasonable or acceptable standard.

[EDIT] Though, Pasidon, your thread title is a bit sensationalist. The kid wasn't just using the Internet.

Edited by Beowulf, 09 November 2011 - 08:59 AM.

[duke_Qa]

As mentioned, this was used as a threat by the daughter over many years. It seemed that the release of this movie was a response to the parents refusing to continue giving her support when she has become an adult.

That does not defend the fact that it seems to have been a very crude and dysfunctional family. But she did the wrong thing though, when she accepted the situation in exchange for leverage on her parents, instead of going to the cops right away. She embraced the family law instead of the law.

Everybody loses: The parents have proven themselves wicked and cruel, the child has proven itself wicked and cruel. You might say its the parents fault that she has become dysfunctional, but nobody can excuse themselves for not cleaning out the trash other people put into our heads.

Edited by duke_Qa, 09 November 2011 - 10:45 AM.

[Beowulf]

I watched an interview where she explained why she waited. Had nothing to do with family law at all.

Here. She explains it all herself.

Edited by Beowulf, 09 November 2011 - 10:47 AM.

[Pasidon]

I saw that interview as well. That's why I'm inclined to think that there's something else to this story that we're not being told. I agree with Duke that the video may have been used at leverage for years and that there is quite some dysfunction in the Judge's primitive desire to control his daughter in the most violent of ways, but the daughter and mother seem to be keeping something from the public just based on their behavior and choice of words on certain questions. Like the Judge said, there's a story behind this.

[EDIT] Though, Pasidon, your thread title is a bit sensationalist. The kid wasn't just using the Internet.

True. I suppose the original title of the video is also a bit misleading. Done and changed.

[Beowulf]

Even if the mother and daughter are hiding something, it doesn't make the video any less disturbing. The simple fact of the matter is that the Judge was, and is, out of line. However, I really don't think they're hiding anything. If you think they are, what do you think it is? I really don't see it.

[Pasidon]

I'm sure nothing will justify Mr. Adams, but there may be more to his daughter's past that isn't being said... more about the family... I can't say. But how Adams didn't really seem to be fighting for his job, as he just left town and moved on seems odd to me when he himself believed he was justified. It's never anything complicated, so they probably used illegal drugs or something, or he and the wife were under the influence during the video and the girl didn't want to get her mother in trouble. Something that that... but we'll probably never find out.

[Romanul]

As far as I understood, the child had mental issues IIRC. But then, I might be wrong.
Indeed, that thing was abuse, and I think it's not normal at all.
Yet I have to disagree with one thing Fen said: Punishment here wasn't quite justified. Why? Those parents could have used one of those child protection applications for her computer, but then, I really don't know if just being dumb is justified as well.

[Beowulf]

Why wasn't punishment justified? The child broke the rules, which is how it works. Breaks rules, get punished; end of story. My problem here was that the judge went well beyond a reasonable punishment and flat out abused his daughter. That's where I have a serious problem.