When Is It Going Too Far????

A real-life "What Would You Do" situation....

Just when I think I've seen it all, something happens that absolutely blows me out of the water.

Such an event happened last Sunday...and I'm still shaking my head with bewilderment, on what I witnessed....

I was working a booth at a local KMart store here in town on behalf of the Red Cross, because once a year, KMart will bring in various organizations to promote National Health & Safety Week.

I had various brochures, as well as coloring books for children, that I would pass out to interested people as they shopped. Fun times, right?

I was stationed right across from the Customer Service desk, so in-between "interested people", I would have an opportunity to watch the goings-on at the counter...again, fun times, right?

So, as I'm standing there, a young mother, along with three small children, and who I assumed to be either her husband and/or the children's father, approach the counter.

The mom is taking care of business at the Customer Service desk, while the young father is entertaining the kids - which included two toddlers and an infant.

The oldest son - who can't be more than 5...has a Halloween prop in his hands...it's a life-size plastic bayonet, that has fake blood slathered all over it...and of course, my first thought is, "Well, now THAT'S an appropriate toy for a 5-year old to be playing with...."

However, it was what happened next that sent shock waves through my system...and had me reeling....

The Dad grabs the plastic bayonet out of his son's hands, and then proceeds to "pretend" to cut off the head of his 3-year old son...he literally grabbed his son by his hair, threw his head back, and "sliced" his neck with the bayonet...all the while saying, "I've just chopped your head off, Dude!" And then laughs in a chilling, hysterical manner.

The 3-year old doesn't see the "humor" in this, and begins to scream and cry...understandably, in my opinion.

Does the Dad then apologize and show remorse?

Nope.

He did it again.

As if perhaps the 3-year old didn't understand the "humor" the first time and needed the horrific play-acting to be repeated.

The child just cries harder, which has now upset the 5-year old, who joins in the crying...so the Dad turns to HIM and proceeds to pretend to behead HIM.

And I'm standing there, speechless.

And did I do anything?

Nope.

I just stood there - shocked at the stupidity of the father, and feeling helpless and hopeless for the children...and wondering if this was being filmed for an episode of, "What Would You Do?", our modern-day "Candid Camera."

It was about this time that the mother turns around, finished with her business at the Customer Service Desk, and obviously wondering what the heck has happened that has set off two of her children into hysterical fits...all the while, the Dad is just standing there, looking innocent and confused, himself.

So, what would you have done? Should I have intervened? Or was I right in staying out of it?

Or am I overreacting? Is there nothing wrong in the Dad's actions in pretending to behead his toddlers?

Maybe I'm just extra-sensitive, as we've had a missing baby here in Kansas City now for over a week, and as a mom, I just want reassurance that the baby is okay...and as a mom, I would never - EVER - pretend to behead my own child.

Peace.