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    Dad Addresses Viral Laptop Shooting After Daughter's Facebook Post [QUOTES]

    By Sam Laird | Mashable – Sat, Feb 11, 2012

    The tech-savvy, gun-toting father who blasted nine hollow-point rounds into his daughter's laptop after she wrote a disrespectful Facebook post is dealing with his newfound notoriety much the same way he handled the girl's rant: publicly and proactively.

    If you haven't seen the now-viral video, here's what happened: Tommy Jordan of North Carolina has a 15-year-old daughter who posted an indignant note to Facebook in which she complained about and harshly criticized her parents for forcing her do too many chores around the house and generally making her life a hassle.

    [More from Mashable: On Facebook, Millennials Friend an Average of 16 Co-Workers [INFOGRAPHIC]]

    She thought she'd hid it from her parents using privacy settings, but her father works in IT and found the note anyway, he said, when he was uploading photos to the family dog's profile page. (She didn't think to hide it from the dog.) So he decided to reprimand her publicly, saying in the video that “since you want to hide it from everyone, I’m going to share it with everybody.”

    He posted an eight-minute video to YouTube on Wednesday, refuting her key points and reading the entire note aloud while smoking a cigarette and sitting in a wooden chair in a grassy field. After about seven minutes of preamble, he gets up, points the camera at a laptop on the ground, introduces a pistol into the frame -- “This right here is my .45" -- and blasts away.

    [More from Mashable: 7 Epic Videos of Gadget Destruction]

    Not surprisingly, the video took off. When Mashable wrote about it the day after it was posted, it had just over 5,000 YouTube views. Now it has 15 million.

    According to Facebook posts by Jordan, he has since received more media inquiries than he can handle, sponsorship requests, and a deluge of both hateful and supportive messages from people eager to provide feedback on his parenting methods.

    Jordan addressed the laptop shooting and subsequent hullaballoo in a recent Facebook post that begins, "Attention Media Outlets:"

    While we appreciate the interest you’re all putting forth to get in touch with us regarding the video, we’re not going to go on your talk show, not going to call in to your radio show, and not going to be in your TV miniseries.

    Some of you think I made an acceptable parenting decision, and others think I didn’t. However, I can’t think of any way myself or my daughter can respond to a media outlet that won’t be twisted out of context. The Dallas news TV news already showed that in their brief five-minute interview with the psychologist.

    Jordan goes on to say that exploiting the media glare would send his daughter the wrong message "that it's OK to profit at the expense of someone else's embarrassment or misfortune, and that's not how I was raised, nor how she has been raised." Jordan says in the post that he will make any further comments through his Facebook page, not through the media. "My daughter isn’t hurt, emotionally scarred, or otherwise damaged," he writes, "but that kind of publicity has never seemed to be to have a positive effect on any child or family."

    In subsequent posts, Jordan sheds more light on the zoo his life has become, further explains the reasoning behind his laptop assassination, solicits funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and promotes a social selling website he's been helping to build. Many of his posts have received well over a thousand comments.

    Here, in the gallery below, are several snippets of what Tommy Jordan has had to say over the past couple days. For the full versions, head on over to his Facebook page.

    Do you think the deluge of attention is warranted? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.

    1. "Never again..."

    In a post from Friday, Jordan says he was unprepared for the attention the video attracted.

    Click here to view this gallery.

    This story originally published on Mashable here.

     
    • Terra
      Terra  •  3 mths ago
      I think the media loves just sees $$$$$ they don't really care.

      As to the father of a teenage daughter in this period of history - The amount of time my kids spend in front of a screen .... wow! And we live in the 'country' where they have chores ..... do they complain: yes. But as they are getting older, they are beginning to see the consequence of not learning to work, as some of their friends are moving out of their parents homes, because the parents are too mean ..... and then these kids try to hold down a job ... much less take out the garbage, dust the house, make their bed and do their laundry ...... how soon do you think they want to come back home?
      • Jason
        Jason 3 mths ago
        You are so right Terra. Those kids either go back home or go occupy something and complain some more.
    • My Clone Did it Not me
      My Clone Did it Not me  •  3 mths ago
      He is right about this media outlet that won’t be twisted out of context. They sure do that
      a lot.
      • jh2
        jh2 3 mths ago
        Especially when they try to convince us there is such a thing as good and honest politicians.
    • Madeline
      Madeline  •  Raleigh, North Carolina  •  3 mths ago
      These children are out of control. No respect for parents who work their a*** off everyday to give these kids what they need and WANT. To be slapped in the face by your child like this is such a awful feeling.I think he did great. These kids have got to know that they cant act they way they do. I would have never treated my parents this way nor would my children (ALL GROWN) have or will ever treat me this way.We grew up in a poor family but a loving family where if I said you cant have this or that or if I said do your chores its was that way. I feel bad for the parents of this child . No respect. She woudnt have a laptop and a lot of other things if she was living with me. You have to give respect to get respect. This child shows no rescept at all to her parents. So sad.
      • kp
        kp 3 mths ago
        It's gotten so bad that I hate to visit several of my friends who have children. The kids are downright disrespectful to their parents and any other adult in the vicinity. I've been put down, cussed at, hit and bitten by school age kids, and had things thrown at me by preteens, simply for coming by the house. All the while the parent stands around pretending not to notice, or in one distinct case, blaming me for "inciting" the child with my presence. My parents would have kicked my butt if I'd ever acted that way towards any adult, and they'd have been right to do so. Children today are too coddled and are turning into social monsters. I've had to distance myself from several friendships because of it too.
    • kylie
      kylie  •  3 mths ago
      We need more parents like this! While shooting the computer was a bit drastic, I bet his daughter received a clear message that she will remember.
    • Andrew
      Andrew  •  Gloversville, New York  •  3 mths ago
      Although what this dad did was pretty drastic it all comes down to respect/or lack thereof by kids today. I see kids today talking back to not just their own parents, but anyone who presents an kind of challenge to them, and I cringe, because I know if I'd done anything remotely similar, I probably would hhave been grounded for an eternity, and the worst part of that would have been the inability to sit for about a week. Kids today feel that they are entitled to pretty much anything and everything they see on TV or the web, without having to worry about where the money is coming from to pay for it. Many kids just don't realiize how good they actually have it in comparrison to how it was for their parents growing up. Personally, at age 12 I had 2, newspaper routes, one early morning, and one after school, and still had chores I was responsible for afterwards. Before that I remember that my brother and I both wanted a dog, so we litterally saved pennies until we had enough to buy a dog, which took the better part of a year. I got one new bicycle for Christmas when I was a kid that I didn't pay for, up till then I rebuilt old ones. After finishing school, I had a job within weeks, wasn't much, just pumping gas a couple of days a week but it beat the heck out of delivering the papers, which allowed me to buy my first car, with just my money. Like I said, this father's actions were pretty drastic, but if it gets at least a couple of kids to stop and think about what they do, before they do it then it was worth it. Better yet, if it gets parents to actually do some parenting, instead of just giving in to their children's demands, and make the poor little darlings actually earn something for themselves, I think that would be a wiin/win. Kudos to the dad!
      • Ann Mallory
        Ann Mallory 3 mths ago
        Me, too, Andrew! We all had chores. Ma made chore lists, and every week, the chore lists would rotate. One week, you had to wash the dishes, mow the grass, run the vacuum cleaner and maybe clean the upstairs bathroom. The next week, you had to dry the dishes and put them away, take out the trash, dust the living room furniture and maybe mop the kitchen floor. The next week, your chores were different once again. For doing every single thing on your chore list, you were paid 25 cents. A quarter. And out of that quarter, you had to put 5 cents in the offering plate at church. Yeah, we sure had it rough. I'm 63 years old and I'm STILL doing chores! Only now, no one pays me!!!! We played outside all summer long and rarely checked in at home during the day. We drank water out of the garden hose and no one died. We rode our bikes without helmets because helmets probably weren't invented yet (I don't know). We had one phone in the house and it was on a party-line! How ever did we survive? Very well, thank you.
    • Modem
      Modem  •  3 mths ago
      He means business! Oh well at least he is proactive in his kids life unlike other parents who don't care. I guess she won't be doing that again anytime soon.
      • the
        the 3 mths ago
        Tommy is a child's name.
      • Bubba
        Bubba 3 mths ago
        THE is an adverb and sometimes preposition.... Your point is?
    • Beaux B.
      Beaux B.  •  3 mths ago
      A Facebook profile for the family dog? Anyway...
    • Texmiss
      Texmiss  •  Richardson, Texas  •  3 mths ago
      Go Dad! We need more fathers to be plugged into what our kids are talking about on facebook. When parents spend a thousand dollars on a child, they should be grateful. not insulting them cause you have to wash a few dishes and do chores. Their gonna have a house someday of their own and will have to do all the chores. Don't feel sorry for her at all! Seems like a loving Dad and Mom that got slapped in the face! Don't blame him.
    • Bruce
      Bruce  •  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  •  3 mths ago
      More people should be parents instead of their childs "Buddy" and maybe both would act their age.
    • James D
      James D  •  3 mths ago
      The kid didn't buy the laptop; so who's was it? and to use it to insult her parents? The young has no respect for anyone or authority these days and the government is intruding into parenting to make sure parents aren't parents, but only suppliers.
    • Some Dude
      Some Dude  •  Hicksville, New York  •  3 mths ago
      I remember as a teenager, my buddy's younger brother enjoyed spending all of his free time playing roller hockey. One day he came home with a bad report card. The next day when he came home his father handed him a small brown paper bag. When he opened the bag he found his hockey stick cut into many small pieces. His father spent much of his own free time doing woodwork. A hockey stick is no match for a band saw!
    • Madeline
      Madeline  •  Raleigh, North Carolina  •  3 mths ago
      I cant beleive that people are sticking up for this child after she was so disrespectful to her father this way. Dont you people have kids...lets turn it around on you...what if it was your child that did this to you.Maybe thats why there is so many hateful children out there. I guess its better to look the other way then to have to deal with a child that you cant control.
    • Mr. RD
      Mr. RD  •  3 mths ago
      Good job Dad!! These kids today are rude and take everything for granted. Glad you ruined her day, embarassed her with her circle of friends and tore that laptop a new hole!! She deserved everything you did, and did it without laying a hand on the child. Forget these people that dont understand your methods..I understand you and think you did a good thing
    • Inflatemyraft
      Inflatemyraft  •  3 mths ago
      Facebook is a joke. To all who can't seem to let it go. You are all jokes to.
    • ole fan
      ole fan  •  Gainesville, Florida  •  3 mths ago
      He gave her everything and she don't give a rats butt about her parents. Young people think this way. We would have never treated our parents like that. Guess she only loves them for what she can get out of them. WOW.
    • cat-person001
      cat-person001  •  3 mths ago
      My parents would have done more to me that shoot the laptop. I was raised to respect my parents. I was raised to respect my teachers and I learned very fast what would happen to my behind if I should forget and show disrespect. Guess what? Oh, and my tender litter psyche wasn't damaged either. The parents today try to be their children's best friends instead of their parents. And all the psychological #$%$ about not spanking your children is just that, psychological #$%$. Look at our schools as an example. This father was not afraid to be a parent. He has every reason to be proud. I am sure his daughter wasn't any to happy, but hopefully she learned a lesson.
    • George Pìmpington
      George Pìmpington  •  3 mths ago
      Way to go dad!! If more parents put their little brats in their place kids might actually turn out to be more than fat video game playing lazy complainers.
    • anangelseyes
      anangelseyes  •  Kansas City, Missouri  •  3 mths ago
      Say it - forget it, write it - regret it.
    • wes
      wes  •  3 mths ago
      The Family dog has a facebook page.

      See? this is how STUPID this whole thing has become.
    • Luke
      Luke  •  Columbus, Ohio  •  3 mths ago
      God have mercy on the boy that brings this girl home past her curfew.
     Post a comment
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