| Anti-smacking Bill - A Country
without Discipline
†
February 2007
In this case I make no apologies for getting on
the bandwagon. Our future as a nation is at stake and... for the
moment, both the Internet and the law of the land dictate that I
have free speech. So, with that in mind I better get into it while
I still do.
What follows is a few ideas, a few opinions, a few
thoughts on this whole anti-smacking bill proposed by MP Sue Bradford.
I fear there is something seriously up when a single, or even a
handful of people in our society can dictate a particular course
of action by which the remaining four million must follow. Perhaps
because this will effect people at the personal level, such proposals
can't be made to stick.
There also seems to be severe misunderstanding
of what it is to discipline a child under reasonable domestic conditions
physically, and to beat, therefore abuse a child. People have different
ideas of what is required, what is reasonable. When something goes
over the line this should be evident and obvious to most reasonably
minded individuals.
Let us take a regular adult situation first, before
we move onto the matters of children.
If someone was trying to kill you, right there and
then, no questions, what are you going to do? Wait for the Police?
Do we still have a inherent right to defend ourselves? To defend
our family or friends or our property? Some would say that is already
gone by the wayside. By Sue Bradford's logic, to do such a thing
amounts to physical violence. Therefore it is illegal. Closed case.
Thank you very much. I am now dead. Worse still, someone I love
is dead. All because I had to act to the letter of the law which
some MP with diplomatic protection doesn't have to concern themselves
with, yet should know far better.
Smacking a kid is not the same as BEATING a child.
Man alive, I'd rather smack my child on the backside once, let them
know it was for running out on the road when they'd already been
told not to, and had it explained to them verbally why they shouldn't
- heck, even shown horrific photos of what happens to people hit
by a tonne of metal - than have them run out on the road one more
time and be hit by a car. Hit lightly by me, or hit, forever dead,
by a car.
But that's okay, to Sue Bradford's mind, in her
ideal world, a kid always does what they're told, always understands
consequences first time, every time. Like adults, right? Look what
we do to adults when they don't do what society deems appropriate.
And so, when we loose our ability, and our will, to do what is necessary,
we find ourselves paying a much higher price, instantly in the loose
of a child's life as depicted above, or in an ongoing legal fashion.
So you see, any child I care about, they'll get
a wee bit of pain now, to save tragedy later. Or they might get
dragged to their room kicking and screaming maybe, all a tantrum...
but in Ms Bradford's world, "man-handling" (what do you
call it if you're a Mum? But that aside it sounds much more dramatic
to be phrased so) would also be illegal because in her view it is
physical violence. Yes, lets not mince words. Perhaps it is her
wish, or those who share her views, wish to assert their will on
others, who would prefer our kids who have gone NATO, for the shake
of a few smacks on the backside, to be high on Ratelin. Hey, it
would keep all those pharmacists and doctors happy, in the money.
Like the politicians.
Remember there are other forms of violence, and
so of them can be far more horrific than that manifested physical.
But before we get there, just remember, to grab a kid is deemed
assault when put under these policy conditions - much as if I was
to grab a member of the public to restrain them from them attacking
another member of the public. Sound absurd? Perhaps it is. Physically
restrain a kid, its assault. But now... they're having a tantrum,
throwing stuff off the shelves of a supermarket... they're running
out on the road... Remember Sue Bradford's words on physical violence.
So you can see where it's all heading.
Sadly this is like making drinking illegal, making
the actions of a sober drinking person a criminal offence, rather
than focusing on the issues of the drunk person, the excess drinking
and any associated criminal activities they may delve into. You
create criminals much like Prohibition created criminals or wealthier
existing ones. You do not make it any easier to catch out the real
abusers which should be the focus of any new policy. Their lives
could even be made easier by being able to hide behind all the red
tape and false realities of a better system while those in power
pick on genuinely good parents. CYPS already has a bad enough record
treating parents unjustly like criminals. More fuel to the fire?
We shall see.
I have seen several listed reports on the connection
between the physical disciplining of children making connections
with actual abuse, but those that raise these connections are not
about to raise cases of the far numerous comparisons between physical
punishment and the the curbing of unacceptable behaviour. Who does
studies like that? No one because its not getting the sort of results
people like Sue Bradford want. But of course this doesn't suit their
agenda so...In any case in more extreme circumstances, if a kid
doesn't want to learn the difference between right and wrong its
not going to help either way. All I can say is, things like "time
out" are fun times for kids. In their own space, in their room.
There isn't any painful reminder. Banning TV... heck I didn't even
have TV half the time when I was growing up.
There is a distinct lack of respect of elders, of
parents, of societal norms in general which is somewhat more acute
in these times. Because you see a parent hitting a kid 20 years
ago, it meant they'd done something wrong and it was a sign you
shouldn't do that thing either. Now, its a sign that, if its okay
for a parent to hit a kid, then its okay for a kid to hit a kid,
or worse, a kid to hit an adult. So, what has changed? You tell
me.
And if, like some I've read can only remember the
pain and the humiliation yet can't remember back to why they were
punished this way, sorry, I can't help that. All I can say is -
I knew every time why I got a hiding, and I never did committed
the same offence twice I can tell you. Good example - swearing at
primary school, said one of those big person words, I got the strap
on the hand. Yes... Don't remember having sworn for at least five
years after that. A solid dependable way in which to clean out a
foul mouth. The other time, it was getting my mouth washed out with
soapy water. Talk about punishment to fit the crime.
So Ms Bradford, don't be playing nanny to any parent
I know please. Any adult responsible for children for that matter.
Next step its called a Police State. Oh, don't like that term? Well,
get a grip on your political history, understand human nature and
think a bit more on what you're doing. Nothing gives any politician
the right to press their personal opinions on those people they
are meant to serve.
Make no bones, death threats are wrong, direct or
otherwise, but when people are forced into a corner, thinking that
their private lives, the rights to bring up their children are being
threatened, well, it is the sort of thing that may just happen.
Right or wrong, these are the consequences, and a sure warning sign
something is not right.
I'm not so sure Google would jump on any website
where a poster had threatened me with death, or even a smack. No,
all things are not equal.Welcome to the brave new world of parenting.
I know some mighty fine parents out there, doing the very best they
can and raising top notch kids, the future of our country. The minute
the government starts telling them how to do their job, I get very
worried.
I find it ironic that a teenager can now howl abuse
on a whim when a parent attempts some form of discipline, yet the
same kid can go out on the town Friday, Saturday night and be trussed
up and handcuffed and what have you by the Police into a paddy wagon
for being a drunken hooligan out of control, street racing, brawling
or whatever. Get the point?
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