This is going to infuriate you.
[Warning: A grown man slapping a baby]
The incident happened on October 6th in Barcelona, Spain, in the historic Montjuic Park. The victims were tourists from France, and the assailant is a man named Henry R.C., a migrant from Ecuador. He had reportedly attacked three other people on the same day.
The 31-year-old "Henry" was quickly arrested and put in a psychiatric hospital ahead of his court date this week. The 1-year-old baby girl is reportedly fine and did not require hospitalization.
Like many major parks in once-great Western cities, Montjuic Park is filled with drug addicts, the mentally unstable, and common criminals.
The site that once hosted the 1992 Olympics:
Is now a place where this happens:
What a metaphor for Western Civilization.
I visited Montjuic Park during my trip to Barcelona in 2006. It gives a stunning view of the ancient city below. I don't recall there being demon-possessed baby-punchers from Ecuador milling about. One has to wonder why Western nations like Spain are so keen these days on importing violent, crazed men from overseas.
Oh, how things change.
On social media, the reaction of the baby's dad caused almost as much of a stir as the baby-slapping itself.
That French father protected his baby, but withdrew quietly from the crazed criminal that had just attacked his child.
Therein is another metaphor for the state of Western Civilization, which now prizes niceness and politeness above other virtues like bravery and righteous violence.
There were two primary reactions:
And:
And more:
My two cents?
The correct answer lies somewhere in-between these responses. Yes, you should be wise and shrewd and have grace to know when to fight and when to flee.
But therein lies the second part of the equation: Men in the 21st century have been told that all violence is "toxic." They therefore have lost the ability to be violent and now think themselves virtuous for it.
This is wrong. Horribly wrong.
A harmless man is not a good man.
In order to be truly virtuous, you must first be capable of violence. You must be dangerous. You must know how to commit violence. You must practice it. You must train.
And then you must restrain yourself and know how to use it rightly and precisely.
In this case, the father clearly wasn't prepared. He wasn't prepared for what he had to do in the millisecond that a beautiful vacation day in Barcelona turned into a life-or-death situation for his baby girl. He acted to protect her, but he was also stunned by the gravity of the situation.
Be prepared so that you may best protect those that God has placed under your care.
P.S. Now check out our latest video 👇