Adrian Peterson should have 'spared the rod'

Anyone old enough to remember when corporal punishment of children was not only common in most homes, but also in many schools, is probably intrigued by the Adrian Peterson case. Peterson is the Minnesota Vikings star running back who has been indicted by a Texas grand jury for alleged child abuse in the beating of his 4-year-old son.

Peterson's lawyer issued a statement that said the "loving father" had "used the same kind of discipline with his child that he experienced as a child growing up in East Texas."  That's not a very good defense, however, since views about proper discipline of a child have changed drastically, even in East Texas,  from what they were two or three decades ago when Peterson was a child. He is 29.

Even in the 1950's, when I grew up -- and many parents still subscribed to the old "Spare the rod, spoil the child" philosophy -- it was understood that there are limits. No good parent would want to strike a child so as to draw blood, which apparently occurred when Peterson used a slender switch from a tree to administer punishment. Some reports say he struck the boy more than 10 times, which also would go far and beyond what most parents even decades ago would do to a 4-year-old.

Peterson will get his day in court, but it sure looks like he lost his composure in attempting to do something he wasn't accustomed to doing – discipline a child. Every good parent knows controlling your temper is the first step before issuing any punishment, even if it is only to make a kid stand in the corner. The alleged abuse victim lives with his mother in Minnesota and was visiting Peterson in Texas. His injuries were discovered during a regular checkup by a doctor who concluded they indicated abuse.

The Peterson case, twinned with the case of Ray Rice, the Baltimore Ravens running back caught on video punching his wife in the face, has the National Football League taking a tougher stand against domestic violence by its players. But this isn't just an NFL problem. Countless children and spouses across America become victims of domestic violence every day. Does a football star have to be accused of that crime to bring the attention it deserves to that issue?

Harold Jackson