“This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you!”: a sentiment passed on from one generation of parents to another, almost as a right of passage into the adult world of semi-senseless cliches. The statement is filled with emptiness and ranks right up there with other parental verbal anomalies like, “Because I said so!” Parents who utter sayings like this, train another generation to accept them as children and then use them as adults (whether they ever understood them or not). From the viewpoint of many children, the aforementioned statement is a lie! This is because the “gonna hurt me more than you” quip is usually followed by a spanking! Whether your parent’s instrument of discipline was a hand, a belt, a switch, a logging chain, rubber hose, wet banana peel, or a ribbed dryer vent, it ALWAYS hurt the kid more . . . physically anyway.
Have no fear, children! Your legislative champion has arrived to insure that your generation and those to come will no longer have to endure parents who care enough to establish boundaries for, and consequences to, your actions. Kathleen Wolf, a Massachusetts nurse, and Mass. Democrat Rep. Jay Kaufman, are presenting legislation that would ban spanking and enforce punishment to parents who use corporal punishment. The Mass. State House is debating the issue today and I have yet to read the results of their discussion.
The point behind Wolf and Kaufman’s action is that parents, in their opinion, too often overstep their boundaries when instituting the discipline of spanking; therefore, no parent should have the right to abuse the parental privilege. In other words, they want to set the limits according to extreme abuse and then govern to the same abusive extreme! They apparently assume that because some parents do go too far with their physical punishment, that all parents will always go too far. Sounds ridiculous but that’s what they’re submitting.
Also, Wolf and Kaufman (and their many supporters, I’m sure), assume that all parents have the same criteria for what behavior deserves a spanking. Different parents have different standards, yet, not so in Wolf’s world.
I suppose if either of these individuals has any children, they have always been on their best behavior and never needed much discipline. Or, perhaps, their kids always responded well to simple, deductive reasoning–a calm chat over an ice cream cone must have quelled the savage beast! Unfortunately, in the real world, children are not cerebral enough between the ages of two and twelve to understand adult reasoning and, at times, need to be reigned in by the swift hand (or belt) of parental justice. Children often act like . . . well, children! And children don’t need child psychiatrists or adult buddies who happen to live with them; they need parents! Children need parents to set parameters and uphold rules, not meant to squelch personality but to build character.
Interestingly enough, in the state of Massachusetts, where sexual orientation is defined by “alternate lifestyles” and abortion is based on a woman’s choice, this legislation, if passed, will establish a foundation for an unprecedented right of government to dictate how a parent chooses to discipline a child–the state government telling the people what to do in a state whose residents are infamous for not wanting government to tell them what to do!
Yeah, kids, don’t you worry! Uncle Kaufman and Aunt Wolf are going to come in and collectively save the day! You won’t have to consider punishment anymore; no consequences to any action; you are officially your own parent! All your Mom & Dad are responsible for is feeding you, clothing you, and providing shelter, while you determine everything else that takes place in your life! And I wouldn’t worry too much about being grounded, having the car keys taken away, or for you younger children, the infamous time-out. I’m sure if Wolf and Kaufman have their way, those forms of discipline will soon be wiped out as well. So, do what you want and plan on doing even more . . . the pain of those mean ol’ spankings is about to stop and the freedom will begin! God help us all!
firmly planted 