This past week Democrat Sally Lieber of San Francisco, a member of the state legislature, proposed a bill which would make it a misdemeanor to spank a child 3 years old or younger.  If passed, it would carry the possible penalty of a $1000 fine or even jail time.  Lieber plans to introduce the bill as early as this week. 

Read the article.

The bill would ban “any striking of a child” 3 or younger.  This would mean no popping a child’s hand, wrist, arm, or leg even in the most innocent of ways.  This would mean parents would be put in the position of disciplining their children by removing temptations or redirecting their child’s interest.  These are acceptable and effective, but they are incomplete by themselves.

Children need to learn boundaries.  Removing temptation or redirecting a child’s interest can be helpful, but it does not teach a toddler boundaries.  A small amount of temporary pain is not a bad thing.  We all have learned good lessons from experiencing something unpleasant, mainly, “I won’t do that again.”

I understand the intent of Mrs. Lieber.  She hopes to decrease the likelihood of child abuse.  This is a noble desire.  Child abuse is aweful, and I hope no child ever is abused.  But, outlawing spankings is not the answer.  In fact, I would argue that not spanking is more cruel than spanking, if done in a proper way.  (I define a proper way of spanking a child as – a means of discipline with the intent to correct an undesireable behavior, done with full control, without anger or the desire to truly harm.)

My greatest concern and objection to this bill is that under the guise of protecting children it really is an attack against parents.  Parents are losing more rights day-by-day.  Many parents that I know are afraid to discipline their children in public fearing that someone will mistake discipline as abuse.  Lets face it, parents have a reason to be parnoid.  And this new bill in California gives parents even greater reason for concern.

What punishments will be outlawed next?  Yelling?  Restrictions?  They could be considered emotional abuse.  These are logical outcomes of the government intrusion in the private affairs of private citizens.  I know abuse is a serious issue, but government involvement in the disciplining of children is an invasion of privacy and an infringement upon parental responsibility.

Finally, it is odd that bills like this have such a strong chance of passing into law.  Abortion, which is the most heinous type of child abuse, murder, is met with enormous opposition whenever a bill is proposed which might hinder a woman’s ability to have one.  If legislators were truly concerned about child abuse, then why does this same concern not carry over to the deaths of innocent children, and to the exploitation of them.

Since abortion is a hot political issue, many are willing to exploit young girls who are vulnerable to ensure that abortions remains legal.  These young women are pressured to have abortions by adults twice or three times their age (coercion), and encouraged to have an abortion and to go through with the process without parental involvement or consent.  And yet legislators have no problem with these types of abuses.

The bottom line is our government is attempting to take away our freedoms.  Namely, the freedom to raise and discipline our children in a manner we see fit.  And, once again, the government thinking it knows what is best for us, misses the bigger issue of child abuse.  Abortion is murder, spanking carried out in love is discipline, and the first not the latter is abuse.

Copyright © January 2007 by Taylor W. Kendrick

All rights reserved.  No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

 

---

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

• World Magazine on the United Nations and coerced abortions