By Brian B

A father is standing on the sidewalk in front of his house. A few feet away, his son is peddling around on his bicycle. Everything is tranquil and serene. Then, the son peddles his bike into the middle of the road. "Son," says the father. "I want you to come back here because I love you and I don't want to see you get hurt."

"No!!" answers the child in defiance.

In the distance, the sound of a truck approaching can be heard.

"Son", the father reiterates gently, "I don't want to see you get hurt." He doesn't move.

"I don't care", says the child. The father can see the truck rolling down the hill, bearing in on his son. He begins to shed tears. "Well," he sobs, "If you don't want to be with me, then I guess you have to get hit by that truck", he sobs. He stands there and watches as the truck slams into his son and crushes him into a thousand pieces. He is crying.

When the father appears in court to testify against the driver, it is revealed that he was standing 3 feet away from his son the entire time. His love for his son is called into question.

The defense attorney for the driver asks him, "Sir, were you standing there while your son rode his bike into the road?"

"Yes sir."

"And you told him to come back, but he refused, is that correct?"

"Yes sir."

"And you loved your son more than anything, correct?

"More than anything, sir."

"And you did not wish any harm to come to him?"

"Yes, sir."

"Now, you see, I'm confused. Was it not in your power to run into the street and pull him to safety yourself?"

"Well, yes, sir, it was."

"And yet you chose not to?"

"Well, I wanted to give him the choice, sir."

"Being hit by a truck doesn't sound like much of a choice, now does it?"

"Well, no."

"So. You didn't want to see your boy hurt, it was completely in your power to rescue him, and just because he didn't come willingly, you let the truck hit him? How can you call yourself a loving parent?"

The father shifts in the stand. He looks up and down. "Well," he finally says, "In my defense, I was really sad about it at the time."