A while back a kid in No. 2 son's class showed up at our house with a bloody mouth he claimed came from his "guardian" smashing him into the sink a few times.

It would've been nice to have been able to explain to the guardian that we don't do things like that in Bluff Springs, but law and conscience required my wife as a teacher to report all suspected child abuse. She complied.

A deputy sheriff showed up at our door nearly immediately. It was impressive response time until the deputy gruffly ordered the "punk" to go back home and no more running away from home.

"Punk? Aren't you here to investigate suspected child abuse?"

"What child abuse? I'm here to take a runaway back home."

"He ran away out of fear. Look at him. He's hurt and bleeding."

"She just knocked him around a little. My mother used to hit me over the head with a skillet whenever I acted up, and look at me now."

It could explain the shaved head and the attitude that it's OK to bludgeon kids. He insisted either the child was going with him or we were going to jail for interfering with custody.

A few days later Punching Bag was back with new injuries, and we'd learned not to depend on the highly trained local law enforcement officer. The School Resource Officer — who knew the laws involved — had advised we could take him to a shelter for abused children if he specifically refused our offer to take him home.

Wife No. 1 (of one) took him to the shelter. Officer Skillethead was soon beating on the door, threatening to break it down if we didn't return the runaway. No.1 son pointed out that the door wasn't locked, nobody was home but himself and nobody was coming in with that attitude. (I still need to teach him to respect guns even if he doesn't fully respect their wielders.)

The shelter was required to call the "guardians," who then came for him. He was back in Bluff Springs and in school the next day.

A bit later they wasted a perfectly good pot of boiling grits on "discipline." The facial burns were bad enough that they took him to Jay Hospital. The doctors looked at the assorted injuries, listened to the folks involved, refused to return the abused child. He was taken in by a loving Navy couple down Pensacola way. He's now serving in the Navy himself and calls us every so often.

I sympathize with deputies recently offended by Sheriff-elect David Morgan's suggestion that some of them weren't well-educated. A good deputy doesn't need a Ph.D., but should know the laws being enforced and be reminded to protect the weak from bullies.

I respect nearly all law enforcement officers, even the few bad ones. Surely a little paid continuing education isn't too much to ask. Mistakes cost or ruin lives.