Why can’t pro-spanking and anti-spanking parents mind their own business about each other?

Question by Rocker61: Why can’t pro-spanking and anti-spanking parents mind their own business about each other?
No, I am not pro-spanking. I have never spanked ANY of my children, and to the best of my knowledge they have never been spanked by anybody else for any reason.

My eldest son is a successful attorney. My daughter is in Honors at her university, as well as being heavily involved with two organizations which work to curb drug use on college campuses, and my youngest son has won awards for his involvement in Debate Club at school.

I take issue with people on both sides of the debate, especially on here, because everybody on both sides seems to think that their side is the only side. I disagree with that.

To the pro-spanking folks – I acknowledge that spanking probably isn’t going to turn kids into Charles Manson. But neither is not spanking them. I have proof of that. You demand that the other side to mind their own business when it comes to you spanking your kid, but you don’t mind your own business about their decision not to spank, and blame everything from crime to school violence on non-spanking – I even heard a guy blame 9/11 on a lack of spanking. It’s about as logical as saying that vegetarians cause global warming because their farts are more potent. Especially when more than half of parents still believe in spanking, and most of the people in prison are there because of mental issues that have nothing to do with whether corporal punishment.

To the anti-spanking folks – You mean well, I get it. But even though I don’t spank, never have, and never will, I’m concerned when I see some over-caffeinated person harass a person for spanking their kid in a store. Unless they are doing something that is considered abusive by legal definitions, or causing immediate physical or mortal danger, I find it is best not to interfere. (While I don’t believe in spanking, I don’t believe in most cases it will kill a kid, unless they’re hemophiliac or something.). You try to pass laws in states like California and Massachusetts that I fear would create a “Prohibition effect” where people not only continue to spank, but become more secretive, cautious, and take steps to ensure they won’t be turned in for it, even resorting to tactics that are legally abusive now such as threatening to harm children worse if they turn them in, or actually going out and harming the people who enforce the laws.

Anyway, I guess what I’m asking is why can’t EVERYBODY come together, come to some sort of compromise on what they are willing to accept as being legal or not legal, get a clearer definition in our child abuse laws so that we don’t have cops barging in on people of lower incomes for less abusive and non-abusive things (because they can’t afford good attorneys), while people in higher income brackets get away with things that are actually illegal.

Thank you for hearing me out. Now feel free to provide your feedback.

Best answer:

Answer by Amber W
I’m neither…just right smack in the middle i would suppose. I know that spanking my 7 year old will not solve the behavioral problems that she has (she has bi polar disorder/adhd) but i do know that i have spanked her before when she was like 3 and ran out into the road…she never did it again.
My 3 year old has yet to be spanked…but if she does something serious enough to warrant one..i will do it, i’m sticking with corner time and talking right now because that is what seems to be working for her.
Same goes for my 1 year old..but i’m not having any “real” problems with her yet, she seems to understand what “no” means!

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