For a lot of you reading this, I’m pretty sure you can relate to just the title of this article alone. Especially for those who grew up with an African or a West Indian parent.
A Roseville man who allegedly whipped his two children after they switched the TV from a Christian station has been charged with malicious punishment of a child. You got to love this country for some of its laws. Malicious? So what do you call it when you’re told to go pick out your own switch so that you can get beaten with it? Where are some JSS or SSS teachers to hear of this so they can properly explain the meaning of the malicious to these people?
On December 14, Stanley Chukwudi Ogbonna, 33, told police that he was angry because the children had lied about how the channel was changed. According to the criminal complaint in the case, filed Friday in Ramsey County District Court, he admitted he grabbed a cord and struck his 10-year-old daughter across the head or neck however he denied striking his 8-year-old son previously.
According to examinations by staff of the Midwest Children’s Resource Center at Children’s Hospital in St. Paul revealed “various marks of different ages on both children’s bodies,” and that both children described being whipped by a belt or cord by their father, the complaint said.
The boy told a Roseville police officer that his father beat him “on a nearly daily basis,” the complaint said.
The case was brought to the attention of police on Dec. 13 by a school social worker who discovered large welts on the girl’s arm, according to the complaint.
I really couldn’t help but laugh when I came across this story. Yes it is true that America is the land of freedom but when there are situations like this, there’s a bit too much freedom. I only wish growing up all the times I got beaten or hearing stories of my friends get beaten, that DCS or the police would’ve dared step into family affairs. That phone call alone would’ve been the last phone call I probably would’ve made for the rest of my life.
It’s funny how a lot of parents complain lack of control on their children nowadays but yet they allow the chance for their children to take over the situation by allowing the children to contact the police. But not African parents. In fact, one woman stated after reading this article, “I wish my son would call the police after I beat him because as soon as the police come, I’m going to beat the living daylights out of him right in front of them.” Her mentality was that if she was going to go to jail for “child abuse” might as well do it for a good cause. In the end, it’s for their own good. All I could think was that these children better thank their lucky stars they’re in America because there is nowhere in Nigeria or any country in Africa that this type of situation would be acceptable. If anything, their neighbors would’ve gladly join their father in beating them for this. Honestly, who are the police to jump into family affairs especially when it comes to an African parent? Wrong move on their part and also with the children but they’ll soon come to realize that it was for their own good in the end. After all it is said, “Spare the rod, spoil the child.” This father was definitely making sure that wasn’t going to happen and who can blame him?
By Yaa Dankwa
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