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The reaction to Adrian Peterson’s indictment for child abuse has been mixed amongst the general public. Unlike Paul George, NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has less to lose for his outspoken opinions and he’s coming to the defense of the recently suspended-and-reinstated Minnesota Vikings running back.

During a sitdown with Jim Rome on CBS’ NFL Today, Barkley dismissed the injuries Peterson inflicted on his 4-year-old son as child abuse by simply likening the punishment to old southern traditions.

“I’m from the South; I understand [Boomer’s] rage and anger,” the Inside the NBA analyst said, referring to Boomer Esiason’s public condemnation of Peterson. “But I think, we have to accept that we were born, he’s a white guy and I’m a black guy. I don’t know where he’s from, I’m from the south, whooping, we do it all the time. Every black parent in the South is going to be in jail under those circumstances.”

Rome, being a “white guy” himself, didn’t share Barkley’s viewpoint yet still failed to champion his opinion as trump.

“I don’t even like the term ‘beating your child’,” Barkley explained. “We call it spanking or whooping our children.”

Clearly the Peterson case outlined the very thin lines between discipline and domestic violence as this sports chat shows.

Watch the video below and share your story of childhood punishment in the comments if you wish.

Photo: CBS