Grandmother Assaulted For Rejecting Facebook Friend Request

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New York Daily News: December 18

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By ALEJANDRO ALBA

'Florida woman arrested for allegedly assaulting grandma who refused Facebook friend request 

Rachel Anne Hayes, of Clearwater, is accused of slapped her grandmother multiple times in the face for not accepting her friend request on Facebook.'

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'Facebook can really ruin relationships.'

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'Rachel Anne Hayes, of Clearwater, Fla., was arrested Thursday morning after she slapped her grandmother multiple times in the face. Hayes was upset because her 72-year-old grandmother had refused to accept her Facebook friend request. The arrest affidavit shows that Hayes, 27, was under the influence of alcohol. Clearwater deputies arrested Hayes on a felony charge of domestic battery on an elderly person.'

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Hayes has been arrested three times before, according to Pinellas County Jail records.

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'Rachel Anne Hayes, of Clearwater, is accused of slapped her grandmother'

I realize 'slapping' would be a better word choice, but I also admit the obvious that writers make mistakes at times. There is also a level of subjectivity in writing and language.

The danger of too much alcoholic consumption is highlighted with this story.

Assaulting one's grandmother is obviously not following the Biblical commandment to love your neighbour as you love yourself (Matthew 23 and Mark 12) as part two of loving God, with all your heart, soul and mind. To love God is consistent with loving one's brother (or sister) (I John 2).

Also to assault one's grandmother is to oppose law and order (Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2).

I noted on Facebook

'Imagine if someone blocked or deleted her...'

Very likely there were offline issues and differences that preceded the rejected Facebook friend request.

'Facebook can really ruin relationships.'

Likely an overstatement in this case as the problems were probably primarily offline.

I do however, see some difficulties with the use of Facebook and social media highlighted in this story.

I have been both blocked and deleted on Facebook. I have gained and lost friends and followers on social media sites.

It is the difficult technical philosophical nature of my sites which can also be controversial, and I try not to be particularly controversial.

Such is the state of the Western World and the Western Church, in particular. There is also lack of civility and dialogue far too often demonstrated.

Sometimes when there is open dialogue, issues can be reconciled. However, even when there is not, from a Biblical perspective, the Christian is to follow the two commandments in summary and to love the fellow Christian mentioned in 1 John and in John 15. There is also the command to forgive others such as in Mathew 18, seventy times seven.

Offline and online.

It seems troublesome that the assault in this story was caused by the Facebook rejection as if this potential online friendship and relationship was more important to the granddaughter than the offline relationship the two relatives possessed.

I view any Facebook or social media, friend or follower, that seems a true friend as a potential for a more important offline friendship and relationship that could occur.

There are of course distance issues that would need to be overcome for persons to meet in many cases.

Social media needs to be in its proper place, secondary to offline relationships (obvious mode).

And don't assault grandma...(obvious mode).

Facebook: Reads familiar...Also similar to that of A German Shepherd's Rules of Possession, minus #10 as they will chew on broken stuff.

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