I need to have a bit of a rant.
I know we are in the day and age that everybody is entitled... Entitled to anything and everything to be honest. But, opinions.. Yes, we are entitled to have one, on anything we choose for that matter, but why, all of a sudden, is each person's opinion so important that it needs to be made public? What happened to the days of 'if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all' or just the good old 'keep your opinion to yourself'?
My rant this morning is due to a news story posted on Facebook. This incident happened locally, which I guess is why I was attracted to the news article and the comments that follow.
The story goes something like this:
Two 14 years old girls were best friends. They had a falling out, which lasted for a good few months. During this time they were arguing over Facebook (I'm going to assume instant messenger) in which they arranged to meet and have a fight...yes, a proper fist fight. So the mother of one of the girls drives her daughter and a bunch of friends to said meeting place. Altercation occurs, with mother watching. The girls then get back in the car for mum to drive them home. As they are leaving the 'scene', the rival teen throws a rock at the mothers car. She gets angry, see's rival girl crossing the road so she swerves and hits her with the car. In this article it is described that "she hit the girl with enough force to flip her over the cars bonnet" resulting in fractured arms and leg.
The mother did stop and call an ambulance, waiting with her victim until it arrived.
(Mum has been to court, appealed, unsuccessfully, and been sentenced to 3 months imprisonment)
disclaimer I am aware that quite often news papers seem to leave VERY important information out, which can result in the story being spun completely differently to how it actually happened...I've been caught with this before. However, in this particular case, I feel that it has been told fairly accurately.
My disappointment stems from the comments after the article... I am absolutely gobsmacked at the people sticking up for the mother, suggesting that they would do the same if they faced a 'bully' like this young girl.
Now, I know this is still my opinion and not necessarily fact, but hey, as I said, opinions are like arsehole's... Everyone has one! Even me!! ;-)
But seriously, who in their right mind would actually DRIVE their child to a premeditated fist fight in the first place? These a children for crying out loud!! Surely, as an adult you would put a stop to it, not encourage it, and then run a kid over!? Of course, we all want to stick up for our kids, but this wasn't even a reaction to the actual fight (or bullying as these people seem to see it) it was because her car got hit with a rock!
I question what kind of message this will send to her daughter. Aside from the whole message of violence is ok, it worries me that it was ok to hurt her loved one (her own daughter!) but not ok to hurt her possessions.
As a parent, I understand how upsetting it is to see your child upset, and I sure as hell would 'see red' if someone was to bully mine, but let's put this in prospective here!
- This situation is not bullying... It's two friends having a fallout, that has obviously gotten out of control.
- she hit her with a car! Um..a little OTT, don't ya think? Doing jail time over a school girls friendship.
Anyways, that's my rant.
I've been called crazy many times, so maybe I just am...What do you think?