To Spank Is Human...

To Forgive, Divine.

Gotta rant for a bit.

One of my college friends posted a Spank The Kids/Don't Spank The Kids question on the Book of Face.  Got a pretty even mix of answers.

Full Disclosure:  I don't have kids, don't plan to, but my answer was a definite "Beat 'em like a rented mule!"

My ass got wore out more than a few times, but very rarely for the same offense.   Mom & Dad were also pretty straight up about it being punishment, and not something done out of anger.

In short, I don't think I suffered as a result.  I've got precisely zero run-ins with the law due to violence issues.

Anyway, an old family friend popped in out of nowhere on the post and commented that spanking was never appropriate, that kids should go to time-out, or have privileges taken away, etc.

I was dumbfounded.  The commenter, who I'll call "Uncle Fred" had met my parents years before I came along, and he and "Aunt Wilma" were a constant fixture in our lives.  Their second child "Barney" was born two weeks after me, and we spent the next 8 years swapping diapers, toys and assorted childhood infections.

See, my memory of "Uncle Fred" is at odds with his statement.  While I never saw him actually spank "Barney", he could unsling his leather belt faster than John Wayne could skin a sixshooter.  "Barney's" reaction to the leather snaking out, getting doubled over and popped was to shriek and head for the hills.  Clearly he had some passing familiarity with "Uncle Fred's" fashion accessory.

I really, really wanted to call "Uncle Fred" out, but I suppose he could have mellowed in his advancing years.  There's also a big difference between spanking kids and spanking grandkids, which he's got a lot of.

OK, rant over.