Who Are They Kidding?

There've been two or three news stories recently about police officers being charged with using excessive force (some even resulting in death) in connection with their apprehension of alleged lawbreakers. In each story the police claim that the individual they were trying to arrest had threatened them in one way or another. And, in each story, the individual's family are quick to reply, "My son would never do anything like that."
Who really knows what the truth is? And, while I don't condone the use of excessive force by police officers, I think that generally these guys do an excellent job, often putting their lives on the line for those who are so anxious to crucify them. But, when it comes to the testimony of family members that Johnny wouldn't do anything like beat up a police officer, I'm reminded of a much more innocent event many years ago, in a much more innocent time period...or, at least it seemed more innocent to me as a pre-teen.
My father was a country doctor in Franklin County, Virginia, back in the fifties, back in the days when doctors made housecalls. Back in the days when Franklin County was known as the "moonshine capital of the world."
Anyway, one night, in the middle of the night, my father was awakened by the sounds of someone pounding on the front door. He trudges downstairs in his robe and opens the door to find the very concerned parents of a young man, by the name (or nickname) of Shorty. "Doctor, you gotta come quick," Shorty's father said as my father opened the door.
"What's wrong?" my father asked.
"It's Shorty," Shorty's mom said. "Something's terrible wrong with Shorty."
"Yeah, Doc," Shorty's father spoke. "He can't stand up. He keeps falling down."
"And he can't stop throwing up," Shorty's mom added.
"Could Shorty be drunk?" my father asked.
"No, Sir, Doctor," Shorty's father said, somewhat indignantly, "Shorty don't drink."
"That's right," the mother said, "My Shorty don't drink at all."
So, my father goes upstairs, gets dressed, and as he leaves the house with Shorty's parents, he asks once more if it could be possible that Shorty has had something to drink.
Again Shorty's parents agree, "Shorty don't drink."
The parents I referred to previously are probably convinced that their sons would never break the law, much less (or is it more?) attempt to run from a police officer. They probably in all sincerity believe that the police used excessive force. But, the belief of the parents, no matter how strong, isn't a true indicator of what their children may or may not do.
I'm sure many parents would be, and many others have been, shocked to find out what their kids are capable of. It's not necessarily that the kids are bad, often times just the total inexperience of youth, and peer pressure, along with impaired thinking abilities, whether induced by teen-age hormones or some external substance, or both, can result in teens doing some down-right stupid things.
But just in case you're wondering about Shorty. Here, as Paul Harvey might say, is the rest of the story. When my father returned home following a lengthy trip out into the country to Shorty's rural home, my mother was anxious to find out how the young man was doing.
My father spoke just two words as he climbed back into bed, "Shorty drinks."