I have been watching this post for a while now and have went back and forth whether to post a comment.
One of the greatest regrets I have in raising my son was how I administered corporal punishment when he was young. Like many we were only doing as we were told, sparing the rod was the right and only way. I was way too young and blindly following what was told to do, without thinking. Like many here, I'm sure we would make a much better parent now that we have age and experience with us.
My son is in his mid twenties now, we are both out of the borg, and I have asked him about what he thought of my spanking him as he was growing up. I guess it really was hurting me more than it was hurting him, because even though we both have concluded that there are far better ways to discipline, it caused him no great and lasting trauma and he realized that I was only "following orders". It still shames me to think back about it.
I have always appreciated the power of music and song in helping us to think seriouly about what we are doing. These are the lyrics to a song by the Ten Thousand Maniacs, that always made me seriously question this issue. (Yeah, I know that they must be evil, or demonic, with a name like ten thousand maniacs, but I listened to them anyway Ha).
Whats the Matter Here
That young boy without a name. Anywhere I'd know his face.
In this city the kid's my favorite to see I've seen him, I see him every day.
Seen him run outside looking for a place to hide from his father, the kid half naked
And said to myself "O, what's the matter here?"
I'm tired of the excuses everybody uses,
He's their kid I stay out of it,
But who gave you the right to do this?
We live on Morgan Street; just ten feet between
And his mother, I never see her
But her screams and cussing, I hear them every day.
Threats like: "If you don't mind I will beat on your behind," "Slap you, slap you silly."
Made me say, "O, what's the matter here?"
I'm tired of the excuses everybody uses,
He's your kid, do as you see fit,
But get this through that I don't approve of what you did to your own flesh and blood.
I'm have heard the excuses everybody uses,
He's your kid, do as you see fit,
But get this through that I don't approve of what you did to your own flesh and blood.
"If you don't sit in your chair straight I'll take this belt from around my waist and don't think that I won't use it!"
Answer me and take your time, what could be the awful crime he could do at so young an age?
If I'm the only witness to your madness offer me some words to balance out what I see and what I hear.
All these cold and rude things that you do I suppose you do because he belongs to you
And instead of love and the feel of warmth you've given him these cuts and sores that don't heal with time or with age.
And I want to say, hey, want to say hey hey "What's the Matter here?"
But I don't dare say hey hey. "What's the Matter here?"
But I don't dare say hey hey.