video game controllerThere are so many examples of hatred, bigotry, and just plain idiocy in the world every day. The only thing more outrageous than knowing these people live and walk amongst us, is the fact that they're raising children. Many of those children seem doomed to be indoctrinated  and carry on with the same small-minded, hate-filled ways as their parents, but they don't always. A tale of two brothers in a video store illustrates beautifully how children can and do become better than their parents.

The story came from Kristen Wolfe, who blogs at Up and Down We Go, and was highlighted on Huffington Post. The 20-year-old student works at a Gamestop store in North Carolina, and she wrote a post about what she saw while working one day titled "Dear Customer Who stuck Up for His Little Brother."

In it she recounts the story of the two boys -- the oldest around 15, the younger somewhere between 10-12. The older one was buying the younger boy a video game as a gift. The younger one was very specific about what he wanted -- a game featuring a female character and a "girl-color" controller. She helped him find both -- a game called "Mirror's Edge," and a controller in his FAVORITE color, purple.

All was good until the father walked in. He reportedly started taunting the boy for his choice, trying to make him change his mind to something "more manly", "something with guns and fighting," even threatening to "whoop" his son if he didn't. The boy kept repeating, "Dad, this is what I want, OK?" Then the older son intervened. He said to the father as the younger by stood by crying:

It's my money, it's my gift to him. If it's what he wants, I'm getting it for him, and if you're going to hit anyone for it, it's going to be me.

How beautiful is that? Who knows why the boy wanted those items. We can speculate, but it doesn't really matter. To think a parent would hit him for his choice is just sad on so many levels no matter what the reason.

While it's a sweet story of brotherly love, even more heartwarming I think is how it proves that bad parents don't always raise bad kids. That a father this apparently small-minded raised sons this brave and loving is comforting, because, let's face it, there are a whole lot of crappy parents out there. While one's environment and genetics certainly do come into play, they aren't everything, and kids can and do become better than their parents ... just like these two boys have. Bravo to them and to Kristen for recounting the story.

Have you seen children overcome bad parenting? Do you love this story?


Image via Sterlic/Flickr