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From: wolit@alice.UUCP (Jan Wolitzky)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: "Spanking"
Message-ID: <3349@alice.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 29-Jan-85 09:55:42 EST
Article-I.D.: alice.3349
Posted: Tue Jan 29 09:55:42 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 30-Jan-85 06:47:05 EST
Organization: Bell Labs, Murray Hill
Lines: 84

"Spanking" is a marvelous euphemism.  When one adult strikes another,
it's called "assault," or maybe just "hitting."  We also call it
"hitting" if one kid strikes another, and we condemn that, too (often,
it seems from the responses here, by hitting HIM!).  But an adult 
hitting his or her kid is just "spanking."

Look, violence is violence.  You wouldn't accept it if your neighbor
hit you because you were doing something he didn't like.  Hitting your
kid is the same thing, exactly.

	"But that's different," you say.  "I have to TEACH my kid."

I'm sure that if your college, graduate, or professional school
professor had raised a hand to you, you wouldn't have found that to
be justified on these grounds.

	"No, I have to teach him DISCIPLINE!"

Army drill instructors teach discipline, too.  In fact, they are
legendary for being rather harsh disciplinarians.  And no one ever
accused them of harboring the tender, loving feelings toward their
charges that parents are assumed to have.  Yet drill instructors are
forbidden from striking recruits.

	"But family members aren't the same as strangers."

You're not allowed to hit your spouse without facing criminal
penalties and society's scorn.

	"But my kid's too young too listen to reason."

And he's old enough to understand being assaulted?

	"How else can I get him to obey me?"

You accept not being able to force everyone else in the world to
submit to your will.  (At least, I hope you do!)  Why is your child
any less privileged?

	"I provide for my kid's every need.  That gives me the
	privilege of deciding how to raise him."

Sounds like a description of a hostage situation, not a family.
Prison convicts are also provided with food, clothing, and shelter,
and, perhaps, have proven themselves unworthy of protection in a way
that few misbehaving 4-year olds have; nonetheless, the guards and wardens
are prohibited from hitting them.

	"Look buddy," you say, grasping at libertarian straws, "This
	is a personal, family matter.  Butt out!"

No, protection from physical violence is guaranteed by our society,
at least in theory (even though, for some warped reason, society does
seem to sanction child beating;  more on this in a minute).  It's
odd, but I have a funny feeling that many of the people who 
want to be left alone on issues of the rights of their children 
are the same ones manning the barricades trying to "protect the rights"
of children who haven't even been born...

The sad fact is that our society denies children the basic human
rights that we extend to everyone else.  The recent Supreme Court
decision bears this out:  while authorities must have probable cause
or a warrant to search you, your kids are subject to search at school
on a teacher's simple suspicion that some rule -- even as minor or
arbitrary as a dress code -- has been broken.

Look at it another way:  of all the members of our society, even
including those charged with maintaining law and order -- police,
prison guards, drill sergeants, etc. -- the only ones granted
permission (by many states) to administer physical punishment to
others are grade-school teachers.  The same teachers reviled by many
parents as the stupidest ("those who can, do..."), laziest,
civil-service union hacks, are given this unique privilege, just
because we think so little of the rights of our supposedly-beloved
children.

We teach our kids even when we don't intend to.  Do we want to teach
them that rights are determined by who has the physical power, that
violence is a legitimate way to get someone to do what you want?
"Spanking" -- child beating -- has been around for a long time, it's
true:  look at the world out there and see if we haven't reaped just
what's been sown.
-- 
Jan Wolitzky, AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ; (201) 582-2998