WTF did i just watch?
I happened across this when reading the news recently. It seems this man, this "father" is a judge here in Texas. Or was; the news post says he failed to get reelected. I am not sure how much this video, which was released on YouTube in 2011, had an affect on his reelection bid. I can only hope it had a significant impact, but that is difficult to readily determine because the conservative views here in Texas are such that I sometimes wonder if this kind of thing is more common and *shudder* accepted down here than we realize.
It is difficult for people to come forward when this kind of abuse happens. On the one hand, it is rarely documented until the fateful moment when permanent damage occurs, but by then it is too late. On the other hand, it is tough to know if this isn't just an isolated incident, because we all lose our cool sometimes. We all get so frustrated that we don't make good judgments in response to problems we wish to control, but don't have the ready means or solutions at hand.
I don't wish to excuse this guy and his tactics when it comes to parenting. As a single male with no children I can only look on in wonder at my family and friends who seem to have all the answers, all the patience, and all the right words to say when i am left dumbfounded by the actions of their kids. I watch them in a state of bewilderment, thinking about how i would react in the current situation, and then watch as they defuse it, mete out punishment, and communicate in such amazingly effective ways. Being a parent is quite a job, and i know suspect there is a lot of learning along the way.
But you can see here, in this video, how someone who quite obviously has control issues, has placed himself in a position of authority and doesn't mind resorting to abuse and belittling to maintain that authority. The fact this guy is also a judge (or was) likely just enables that narcissism, that lack of empathy, that need to cast his divine will upon others without a single thought of their humanity or with any sense of compassion on his part. But isn't that what we want in an authoritarian; someone who can dispassionately mete out the greatest possible punishment when necessary, and not be burdened by a nagging conscience?
I say no. Power corrupts. And I am glad this man, who is broken in his thinking, who lacks compassion even for his own family, shall not be deciding the fate of others. Forget that our legal system is broken, that money and position hold more sway than the facts of a case; that is important but has no bearing here. Instead see this man, this self-indulgent God who presents his disdain for anyone who would not give him his due respect (respect is never "due"), and see him for the monster he has become. And remove from him the power he has allowed to corrupt him. He doesn't deserve to be in a position to compassionately mete out punishment, because he has no more compassion.
