The commentary writes itself, unfortunately:
A mother convinced Rock Hill police to arrest her 12-year-old son after he unwrapped a Christmas present early.
The boy’s great-grandmother had specifically told him not to open his Nintendo Game Boy Advance, which she had wrapped and placed beneath the Christmas tree, according to a police report.
But on Sunday morning, she found the box of the popular handheld game console unwrapped and opened. When the boy’s 27-year-old mother heard about the opened gift, she called police.
…She hoped the arrest would be a wake-up call for him. She dreads getting a phone call someday reporting he’s been killed.
The great-grandmother is 63. That doesn’t automatically lead to the conclusion that essential parenting skills are missing, but I’m willing to offer an educated guess. Of course, one must wonder how much of a wake-up call the arrest will be.
Two Rock Hill police officers responded to the home and charged the boy with petty larceny. He was charged as a juvenile and released the same day, said police spokesman Lt. Jerry Waldrop, who added the boy was never held at the jail.
“We wouldn’t hold a 12-year-old,” he said.
What’s the lesson, other than do something you’re told not to do and you get a slap on the wrist? Brilliant. Police should not parent your children. If you’ve reached that point, you’ve failed. Maybe your kid is truly a bad kid, but you’ve still failed. Regardless, the biggest lesson is don’t put the presents under the tree until Christmas.
Jesus was born and so I get presents.