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Massachusetts lawmakers to ban spanking?

By M&C US News Nov 27, 2007, 16:00 GMT

Lawmakers on Beacon Hill in Boston are set to consider a proposed ban on spanking children in the commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The issue is set for debate at a Statehouse hearing Wednesday morning.

The Boston Herald reported that State Rep. Jay Kaufman filed the spanking ban petition at the request of an Arlington, Mass., nurse who wants Massachusetts to become the first state in the country to stop corporal punishment.

If this proposal becomes state law and parents are caught hitting their children who are under the age of 18 - they could be charged with abuse.



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NobodyNov 27th, 2007 - 22:27:35

Now there's a harebrained idea! I wager that anybody who thinks that is a good idea never raised a child - at least one who grew uo to be a law abiding and contributing member of society. I certainly don't condone beating but sometimes a 'swat' is necessary to get the point across.

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dittoNov 27th, 2007 - 22:34:39

I got my backside whacked plenty of times, and nothing negative came of it. Just the opposite as a matter of fact, I never did those things again, and have grown up to be a much better person than a majority of the 'non spanked' 30 somethings and younger that I know. We need to get our children back under control before they all end up being narcissistic little hoodlums like they are right now.

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Joel LintonNov 28th, 2007 - 08:34:05

There are two kinds of spanking:

1. Spanking as training.
2. Spanking as venting parental anger.

The second kind should never be used. The first kind should be used by every parent who can handle it. A short sting on the skin of the backside is an excellent and natural tool to help children understand when something is dangerous or morally wrong. Getting burned can teach you not to touch a stove, but how much better to learn the same thing by being spanked and not getting burn scars on your hand. The discipline is short and over with. The child knows that the parent cares for him or her. And after the spanking, the parent can give a hug to the child. If spanking is done immediately and consistently (100 percent) after bad behavior, it will result in children who almost never need to be spanked because they learn to listen to and obey their parents.

Other forms of discipline like time-outs or verbal scolding can be confusing and unclear. They are also drawn out. They can cause psychological stress in ways that are absent when a loving parent gives a short spank with a clear but brief sting of pain.

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WhatchutalkinboutwillisApr 26th, 2009 - 01:26:18

I am all for this law.

IF

This lady spends one year on an island with 1000 children who have never been spanked. Lets see how long it takes before she has to correct one of them or hits them out of anger...


She is infringing on your rights as parents, all of our rights as a matter of fact. Children have become borderline useless. Pay close attention to even some of the commercials out now that show young kids talking to the parent like he/she is an idiot or 'stupid and uncool'. If every tween to wanna be gangsters got a trip to the woodshed every time they got out of line for a year this country would be a much better place, hundred of thousands of woodshed whipped young people beat the Germans in WWII... Theres nothing wrong with spanking a child. Sometimes you have too. And it is no ones business what you do with you own kids...



So remember to call your congressmen!

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