As further proof that no one quite knows how the Adrian Peterson mess will unfold and ultimately resolve itself, Peterson’s “All Day Foundation” has landed on hiatus.
The message that the organization’s website says, “The Foundation will reengage after Adrian, his family, and staff have reflected on how the current situation impacts the direction for Adrian’s philanthropy.”
It’s a somewhat strange outcome, unless Peterson is in the process of shifting the goals of the foundation toward a cause relevant to his current predicament.
Given that Peterson apparently didn’t realize that striking a small child with a slender tree branch until the child’s flesh had become torn open in multiple locations was not an acceptable form of punishment, maybe the efforts should focus exclusively on making sure anyone else out there understands the limits of discipline.
That’s perhaps the only good news that comes out of this case. Regardless of what Peterson’s foundation does in the future, more and more people now know what can and can’t be done when it comes to whipping a child.
Maybe there should be no whipping at all. Whatever the degree, using violence of any degree against a child teaches the child that problems can be solved that way.
UPDATED 6:26 p.m. ET: The All Day Foundation has posted a lengthier statement regarding the suspension of activities. “We have taken the Adrian Peterson’s All Day Foundation website offline to protect our charity partners from the continued harassment they have received from the media,” the statement says. “Unfortunately, over the past few years when there was positive news, the media paid little attention to our nonprofit partners. Now, the charities are being harassed, judged and placed in uncomfortable positions. They are being pushed to make statements and business decisions that are taking time away from the good work they are doing.”