what is wrong with people???

what is wrong with people???  i was walking into the hospital from the garage and heard a man yelling very loudly and angrily across the garage.  there were others walking in with me too, and we all turned to look.  i stopped and watched, wondering if he would yell at me for taking notice but honestly didn't care.  he stepped out from between two cars and the person he was yelling at was a very small little girl, maybe about three.  he started walking towards the door, and ultimately towards me...yelling at her and dragging her the entire way.  the language he used isn't appropriate for public viewing so i'll leave that part out, but what matters is that he didn't seem to care that there were others watching him and as i walked slowly into the building still watching him, still listening to him, a kind older couple passed by and the gentleman whispered to me, "slap him, will you."  i told him i would take care of it.  i got inside the building and stood there trying to figure out how to handle the situation...remember, i'm totally non-confrontational so these things are very hard for me but i knew there was no way i was letting him get away with what he was doing in front of me. (i kept thinking about how gran would handle the situation and i knew without a doubt she would say something even if it meant making her uncomfortable.)  he ended up right in front of me and once he realized i was looking right at him he was visibly startled and tried to apologize.  i asked him if what he was doing was necessary and he was immediately upset with me for even asking.  i'm a pretty sensitive person (shocker, i know) and stuff like this makes me crazy.  and, in light of what happened last friday in CT, i have zero tolerance for someone who can't appreciate their children.  the rest of what happened between us doesn't matter other than the fact that he knows someone saw him and didn't ignore his behavior.  and, more importantly, that little girl heard someone speak up for her...i looked her in the eyes more than once and reminded him firmly that she doesn't deserve to be treated that way and that it was unacceptable behavior for anyone.  you're right if you guess that he didn't like me or my comments one little bit, but i wasn't there to make friends with him.  i turned from him and was face-to-face with one of our safety engineers who told me to report it and that he would follow him to make sure she was okay and that he calmed down.  i was thankful for his presence and reassurance.

i'm sure many people wouldn't do that, wouldn't stand up to a stranger who was clearly angry.  and, i know we as parents have the right to raise our children in our own ways but that was too much and my fear was not so much for that moment, but more so for what he does without an audience.  if he had no problem acting that way in public, i can only imagine what he does behind closed doors.  it made my heart hurt.  we have to stand up for those who can't defend themselves.  she was so little and my mind filled with the thought of all those poor children who had no way of defending themselves...all those families who don't get to raise or hold their little ones...made me sick.  the last thing i said to him was, "cherish her" after he had told me repeatedly that she was his and he could do what he wanted with her..."yes, she is.  and you should cherish her instead of treating her that way."