>>>>>>>This just happens to be from my hometown newspaper in Portage, WI:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>http://portagedailyregister.com/news/49a11bd6-a139-11dd-840c-001cc4c03286.html
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Yes. It's the adult throwing a tantrum and step to escalation. Those who say it's benign because they "were raised that way and turned out fine" undermine their own argument—if truly benign, it can be done without. I was once in a class taught by Joseph Chilton Pierce and I like his take on going corporal: it's gets a child's attention but is evidence of the adult's lack of creativity. My son is 5 y/o, well behaved and very empathic. i.e. no paddle required. But then, I am not a fundamentalist of any sort. So I'd be willing to make an exception: if found guilty, let the judge/jurors paddle the pastor. On youtube. ;-)
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>I think a spanking with a paddle, the hand, even a belt is just another tool in a parent's toolchest. I probably didn't spank my three kids more than a handful of times each, but at some point they all crossed the line and had to be dealt with. I've always thought it was a last resort. Timeouts and loss of privelages and such usually work. When they don't you move up the force continuum.
>>>>
>>>>So same question I put to Bonnie. If an adult does something of which you don't approve, is it ok to hit the person? Or is it only ok to hit children?
>>>
>>>So everything is equal? A child can drive a car, purchase a gun, drink whiskey, etc? No, they can't and so your argument is specious.
>>
>>Nonsense. This isn't about what a child is allowed to do. It's what an adult is allowed to do, and hitting a child should not be one of those things. As I said before, hitting a child who can't hit back is just bullying.
>
>Nonsense. This is called behavior modification. It actually works, when properly administered.

If it works (which in the long run it doesnt) it's only temporary and the child will have bigger problems later in life. This "let's beat our kids so they behave" mentality is like from the 1950's. We know better now. Sure it takes more time and patience to properly disipline the kid, but it's worth the extra effort - as tons of research has shown us over the past 50 years.