I don't think spanking kids is a good idea, since a lot of the time they start hitting back when they get big enough. But I don't have any kids yet, so I really do not have a leg to stand on when it comes to me telling you how to raise your kids.
The California state legislature does not have a leg to stand on either, yet a new bill is being proposed that would outlaw the spanking of small children in that state. Parents could face up to a year in jail if they are caught.
Whatever your thoughts on spanking are, to arrest an otherwise fit parent for a single spanking incident would be more traumatic for the child than the spanking itself.
Plus, have they stopped to consider the economic consequences? You can be sure that quite a few Disneyland vacations have been canceled already. I'm not that much worried about the welfare of kids in this case. How can they expect to enforce this law unless the spanking occurs in public? I'm worried about the poor guy who has to wear the Mickey Mouse costume in the desert heat.
Just what everyone needs. More laws. More stoopid laws. More unenforceable stoopid laws.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure, but I think if a cop or a neighbor or passerby observes you wailing the snot out of your kid, there is probably already a law on the books to cover that. If they observe you give your kid a swat on the backside for misbehaving, they should go on about their business.
Asinine, time consuming, money wasting crap seems to be all the rage lately.
I grew up in a family that was very tightly-knit. Everything my parents did was out of love. That being said, I got the wooden spoon when I was bad. I am now a freshman in college and I feel that I am better off for this.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like this anti-spanking proposal would infringe upon a parent's right to discipline their child. I understand protecting the children, but I feel that in the long run, spanking them is one of the best ways of disciplining them, and is therefore better for them. Parents must display control over their children to teach them respect, humility, and responsibility for their actions. I agree with Tim in that this seems like a dumb law that is unenforceable. This law seems like a waste of resources that could be used on important issues.
There is a big difference between discipline by spanking and abusing. I think this difference, however, is clear. The cases that anti-spankers use for their side are extreme, and few and far-between. Spanking is definitely effective. I can testify to that. This law generalizes this type of discipline as violent and abusive, and this is rarely the case.
This impractical proposed law seems to infringe upon rights and weaken the authority of parents. It is not feasible and would be hard to enforce unless all spanking were public. More importantly though, spanking should not be discouraged in the first place.