To Spank, or Not to Spank

Another San Francisco Liberal is busy at work- introducing a bill in the California State Legislature to ban spanking. No, this isn’t a new measure to regulate proper Bathhouse decorum. Democrat Representative Sally Lieber has proposed a law that would outlaw the spanking of children three years old or younger, carrying a penalty of jail time, or a $1,000 fine, for convicted parents.

This begs the question: at what point does the State have a right to infringe upon a parent’s right to discipline their own children?

Naturally, there are some genuine cases of child abuse that should be confronted by government intervention, but where does one effectively draw the line? Is spanking always wrong? Not if one believes in the Biblical injunction of “spare the rod, spoil the child.” In fact, one can make the case that “sparing the rod” is a form of child abuse in itself. Tolerating disobedience and neglecting the responsibilities of applying “adequate” discipline is one of the surest ways to corrupt a child. The results of an undisciplined child can be far-reaching and tragic. The duty of child-rearing is clear: either discipline them when they’re young and in the home, or society will be forced to discipline them when they’re old and in prison! Aka, spank me now, or spank me later.

We all can’t wait for TV’s Super Nanny to show-up in a van to fix little Johnny’s “problems” with fancy “time-out” games. Sometimes, a swift smack on the rear is the most direct way to communicate what it takes this modern-day Mary Poppins to do in an hour! The simple idea is this: Stove Hot, pat on rear stings, but not as bad as three degree burns and a visit to the Emergency Room. Children need strong suggestions about how to control their behavior in order to avoid serious injury to themselves or to others. By stinging their little behinds one transfers this notion in a meaningful way that the child clearly understands. Not all 3 year olds can “reason” why- Stove Hot.

Another argument against this Nanny State proposal is the idea that we already have too
many people in our society abdicating their individual responsibilities in favor of “collective” solutions. Adopting this additional area of government oversight will only suggest to many that here is yet another opportunity to surrender one’s natural sovereignty in favor of government usurpation. Such unconstrained belief in the efficacy of government- for matters of personal responsibility- results only in furthering the negative trends of victimization and dependency among the People. Supplanting the natural, God-given order of “Parenting-done-by-the-Parents,” yields a condition where, ultimately, no one takes responsibility for the hard work of nurturing a child. If the child belongs to EVERYBODY, the child effectively belongs to NOBODY. Sometimes, frankly, “The Village” is just too darn busy to break-off a switch and stripe a few legs! Bottom line: initiatives like Ms. Lieber’s only encourages the damaging belief that it is the government’s responsibility to raise a child.

There are currently 28 states in the US that ban corporal punishment in schools. Those
states which “do not” are characteristically Red, and in the South. Studies have also shown that Christians are disproportionately in favor of spanking by a ratio of 9 to 1. It’s interesting to note, that although recent surveys show that only about 33% of Americans currently support this form of discipline, in the 1930s, the rate was similar to today’s Evangelical point of view- about 90%. Does anyone truly believe that our Society in America today is trending toward too much discipline? Isn’t it more likelythat most of our societal ills are the result of just the opposite trend: an overly permissive culture that tolerates every manner of deviancy?

NY Sen. Patrick Moynihan used to warn, “we are defining deviancy down beyond the limits our community can afford to recognize.” He was referencing the Durkheim Constant, advanced by preeminent Sociologist Emile Durkheim in 1895, which states, “by defining what is deviant we are enabled to know what is not, and hence to live by shared standards.” A quick perusal of the Jerry Springer Show should assuage any doubt regarding the direction we are heading in vis a vis our “shared standards!”

So, this battle in the Culture War will continue. Fifteen European states currently ban spanking in both home and school. The European Network of Ombudsmen for Children, (ENOC), which regards spanking as child abuse, is urging all governments to work collectively towards abolishing all forms of corporal punishment. The actions of Ms. Lieber are yet another example of how liberals in this country are taking us down that primrose, socialist path of “Government Knows Best!” Robert Young where are you?
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