Its an old topic. Who has the right to dicisipline the child. Is it the parents right to or is the state the final decider.

Many believe that punishing a child period is wrong. Yet how do we teach a child then , right from wrong, moral values, and compasion for thier fellow man (p.c. human).

Punishment for a child is in the eye of the punisher. For many any show of authority is wrong. A child needs to discover things on thier own. Ok good theory, but full of holes and lack of parental responsibility. A double edge sword for many in the progresive camp. The lack of oversight for the child leads to trouble in many cases.

Forms of punishment for a child include but are not limited to talking about what has happened, to spanking (see where this is going?). My brother uses the timeout method. Sitting my nieces down and letting them think about what they have done and reasoning with them. So far this has worked. However is it the only way? No, for many children the manipulation process is learned at an extremely ealry age.

This manipulation is reinforced with the lack of some sort of corporal punishment. When a child learns that crying and throwing a tantrum results in only a time out and no negative response they will continue to throw fits.

One can punish a child with out forms of physical reinforcment. Such as having the child sit in a chair at the table and not able to leave untill they finish thier broccalli. Or you can have the child stand with thier nose in the corner. (this one seemed to be a favorite of my fathers. I got to be pretty knowledgeable about the texture and finish in our home ... lol).

The n there is the old stand by. A spanking. This to many is child abuse. Ok I can see that if it gets out of hand, yes it is child abuse. However a simple swat on the bottom is not abuse. Ones posterior is, even for those with less robust bottoms, is quit padded. It is the mental thought that this will hurt more than it does, which causes or reinforces the "don't do it again" atmosphere.

A spanking by many is nothing more then an extension of Pavlovs theory on behavior.
By giving a negative reinforcment to an action, we learn not to do it again. Or at least this is the thought process behind it.

Yet in many places that are top heavy with progressive enlightened thinkers this is unthinkable. Laying of hands on a child is inexcusable. (This could answer the question as to why thier kids are generally the ones who are acting like brats and simply out of control most of the time).

Now I will argue that the problem with many troubled youths, is the fact they do not understand right from wrong clearly enough. I hold thier parents , or lack there of for this. With out reinforcement of the negative side to ones actions they do not learn not to do some things. This is not an endorcement for spankings but for more then a timeout.

In the state of Massachusetts spanking is to be outlawed. Considered barbaric and child abusive. Now this is the state (a few) pressing thier views on the majority.

Child psychologist Theresa Whitehurst said, "When a husband does it to a wife, the very same act is considered domestic violence. And when you hit a child, what's the difference?"

Fair question but her logic is flawed. Equateing spousel abuse to diciplining a child is not the same. It is not even close. Teaching a child roght from wrong, then saying in a domestic abuse situation the same thing is going on is , well, assinine.

But this is the moral equivalance that progressives see. They see no differance. Something tellls me that they are not so enlightened.

Massachusetts is mnoving foward on thie banning. So soon it will be illegal to discipline your child there. Not only in public but in your private home/residance. A slam on individual/parental rights. The village/state taking over the task of raising children.