By NATALIA HAWK
In our latest favourite “only-in-America” story, a homeless man from New York is suing his parents for – wait for it – not loving him enough.
That’s right. 32-year-old Bernard Anderson Bay reckons that he never got enough affection or support from his parents, Vickie and Bernard Manley.
He was allegedly also raised in a poor household, and because of that, he is now homeless and destitute. “Our whole family is really poor, and my father doesn’t care about the situation,” Bey said. “I feel unloved and abandoned.”
The solution? He wants his parents to mortgage their house so they can buy two Domino’s Pizza franchises. Then Bernard will be employed and everybody can be happy. Or not.
Unsurprisingly, his parents are not appreciative of the US$200,000 lawsuit. “He’s 32 years old. That speaks for itself. Welcome to America. Everyone in America has the same opportunity. Don’t blame the parents at this point. The choice is yours. You’re an adult,” said his mother.
As for his father? “He’s not related to me. He’s not my son,” Bernard Senior said. Well. That’s awkward.
But really, I think Bernard Junior might have a bit of a point. Parents are very influential in shaping your life experience and have the potential to either make your life excellent or scar you irrevocably. In the spirit of Bernard, I have compiled a list of what I would sue my parents for:
1. The time they took me to a ski resort in Canada but wouldn’t let me swim in the indoor pool. Seriously ruined my holiday AND probably hindered my swimming abilities by letting two entire weeks of paddling experience slide by.