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McDonald's in the News...and Domestic Abuse

I woke up this morning at 10:30. I grabbed the paper from outside, and turn on the news. My girlfriend is out walking the dog.

And a few stories catch my eye.

The first says that singer Rhianna might be back together with Chris Brown. He's the R&B singer that made her face look like a pinata.

I don't think someone that's abused going back to the person that abused them is so rare. I heard a morning DJ on the radio last week ask why an attractive, successful woman would go back to him. Or even put up with it (since reports are that he had been physical with her before).

Women that stay with abusers aren't always doing it because of financial security. Just as women with eating disorders aren't doing it because they are fat. There are mental problems at work here (although, I'm no doctor...I just play one on my blog).

Then on Headline News, a young kid that's a hero, is being screwed over.

I looked up and see they have footage of a black guy breaking up a fight. It's grainy and hard to see, but what they say is this guy was an employee of McDonald's. And an African-American is beating up his girlfriend. He steps in to stop it. This guy goes to his car, gets a gun, and shoots the kid a few times. He's fine now, after $300,000 of medical bills.

And, Mickey D's refused to pay them. The courts sided with McDonald's, too. Apparently, in their training, they tell you not to get involved in fights with customers, even if you're trying to break them up.

At first, you think that sounds like the rules they have at banks. Don't try to be the hero, just hand over the money and let police try to catch the criminal.

As someone that worked at the Mira Mesa McDonald's for almost four years of high school and college, I just think the PR nightmare won't be good for them on this one (and I remember those training videos...they tell you not to sweep or change a trash can next to a customer, or to curse...nothing about fighting crime).

I remember my first week there, we got robbed. I was downstairs doing inventory, and Mike Allen (who had a brother named Ethan Allen; talk about a name kids can make fun of)....had a gun put to his head. He had just been named a manager, and forgot the combination to the safe. The burglar shot a hole into the ceiling, which we then realized, doesn't help you remember any quicker. It just makes you wet your pants (the only time I've ever seen that portrayed in a movie was Grand Canyon, when Steve Martin is robbed outside a Lakers game).

But, two things popped into my mind this morning.

I saw Eric Holden, the Attorney General, commented on race the other day. At first I thought it was Oprah's boyfriend Stedman. I was happy to see he got a job without her help (gotta love his book about how to become a millionaire....yeah, hook up with a woman that's a billionaire!)

I liked a lot of what he had to say. One of the things was that we can't be a nation of cowards when it comes to discussing race. And I couldn't agree more.

So, I'd love to ask him, or someone...why I read a stat years ago that said domestic abuse is more common among African-Americans. I'm sure some liberal will post that they live in the poor neighborhoods and that's why. But as we saw with Chris Brown, O.J. Simpson, and a handful of NFL players that aren't poor and aren't living in ghettos.

The next thing I want to know is why someone didn't step in with the McDonald's case, and say "This story is probably going to make the news. And we're going to look like jerks for not paying this kids medical expenses."

I understand that $300,000 is a lop of Big Macs, but come on.

The woman who spilled hot coffee on her lap original wanted $500, to pay half of her medical expenses (as she had no insurance). They refused, she sued, and won a million.

Did they not learn anything from that?

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I woke up this morning at 10:30. I grabbed the paper from outside, and turn on the news. My girlfriend is out walking the dog.

And a few stories catch my eye.

The first says that singer Rhianna might be back together with Chris Brown. He's the R&B singer that made her face look like a pinata.

I don't think someone that's abused going back to the person that abused them is so rare. I heard a morning DJ on the radio last week ask why an attractive, successful woman would go back to him. Or even put up with it (since reports are that he had been physical with her before).

Women that stay with abusers aren't always doing it because of financial security. Just as women with eating disorders aren't doing it because they are fat. There are mental problems at work here (although, I'm no doctor...I just play one on my blog).

Then on Headline News, a young kid that's a hero, is being screwed over.

I looked up and see they have footage of a black guy breaking up a fight. It's grainy and hard to see, but what they say is this guy was an employee of McDonald's. And an African-American is beating up his girlfriend. He steps in to stop it. This guy goes to his car, gets a gun, and shoots the kid a few times. He's fine now, after $300,000 of medical bills.

And, Mickey D's refused to pay them. The courts sided with McDonald's, too. Apparently, in their training, they tell you not to get involved in fights with customers, even if you're trying to break them up.

At first, you think that sounds like the rules they have at banks. Don't try to be the hero, just hand over the money and let police try to catch the criminal.

As someone that worked at the Mira Mesa McDonald's for almost four years of high school and college, I just think the PR nightmare won't be good for them on this one (and I remember those training videos...they tell you not to sweep or change a trash can next to a customer, or to curse...nothing about fighting crime).

I remember my first week there, we got robbed. I was downstairs doing inventory, and Mike Allen (who had a brother named Ethan Allen; talk about a name kids can make fun of)....had a gun put to his head. He had just been named a manager, and forgot the combination to the safe. The burglar shot a hole into the ceiling, which we then realized, doesn't help you remember any quicker. It just makes you wet your pants (the only time I've ever seen that portrayed in a movie was Grand Canyon, when Steve Martin is robbed outside a Lakers game).

But, two things popped into my mind this morning.

I saw Eric Holden, the Attorney General, commented on race the other day. At first I thought it was Oprah's boyfriend Stedman. I was happy to see he got a job without her help (gotta love his book about how to become a millionaire....yeah, hook up with a woman that's a billionaire!)

I liked a lot of what he had to say. One of the things was that we can't be a nation of cowards when it comes to discussing race. And I couldn't agree more.

So, I'd love to ask him, or someone...why I read a stat years ago that said domestic abuse is more common among African-Americans. I'm sure some liberal will post that they live in the poor neighborhoods and that's why. But as we saw with Chris Brown, O.J. Simpson, and a handful of NFL players that aren't poor and aren't living in ghettos.

The next thing I want to know is why someone didn't step in with the McDonald's case, and say "This story is probably going to make the news. And we're going to look like jerks for not paying this kids medical expenses."

I understand that $300,000 is a lop of Big Macs, but come on.

The woman who spilled hot coffee on her lap original wanted $500, to pay half of her medical expenses (as she had no insurance). They refused, she sued, and won a million.

Did they not learn anything from that?

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