[WhatWuzThatBlue]

Originally Posted by GarthB

Reading is fundamental.

I am not the one manipulating the topic. I have merely stripped it down to it's nakedness. Is it appropriate for an grown adult man to slap a 12 year old child across the face?

Simple question.

Others are the ones peforming mental and philosophical gymnastics to justify saying "yes." My reply is much simpler. "No."

Several of us have already given you the very answer you are seeking. JM gave it to you again...NO, the umpires should not have intervened in this case. That is what we are talking about after all. If they had witnessed the slap then they certainly would be justified in serving as a prosecutorial witness.

Is a grown adult man ever justified in slapping a 12 year old across the face? The simple answer is "It depends on the situation." The slap we were discussing was not enough to even elicit a response from the player's parents.

However, since you want to live in an always and never world, my answer would be "Yes". I can think of several incidents that would warrant an adult hitting a twelve year old...in my "abstract world" kids bring guns to school, sell drugs and spit in the faces of law enforcement. But we should coddle them, right?

Originally Posted by GarthB

A baseball uniform doesn't make it okay. Being a coach doesn't make it okay. Being in a dugout doesn't make it okay. Not approving of the child's language doesn't make it okay. And being in a position of power or authority over the child definately does not make it okay.

Sorry Garth, yes it does. But, in the situation we originally were discussing, I agreed with you that the man should probably be prosecuted. I didn't like seeing what happened, but the thread starter simply asked if any of us would eject him. Again...most of us would not.

Originally Posted by GarthB

Let me show you how one answers a simple yes or no question without babbling about why the answer is correct.

Watch carefully.

No.

Your turn. Yes or no.

Your condescension is unbecoming...I am disappointed by your belief that we must comply to your demands. Very few things in this world are that simple. I've already told you that the man should be held accountable. However, yes, there are times when an adult should be permitted to discipline a child with physical means. You have stated that you were once in law enforcement, surely you didn't wear blinders on that job. Bad things sometimes call for usually unappealing remedies. I'm sorry that that offends your judgement, but it's nice to know that you are at least dialoguing with me again. A2D and let's get on with it.