Brits move to outlaw parental spanking

Washington Times ^ | November 16, 2003 | UPI

[Cincinatus' Wife]

LONDON, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- Britain's government is moving toward outlawing the spanking of children, even if it is done by parents in their own home.

Officials plan to tack an amendment onto the Child Protection Bill to outlaw parental spanking because too many parents cover up abuse by claiming their children's bruises are the result of normal discipline, the Sunday Observer reported.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Next they'll outlaw parents.

[nwrep]

Next they'll outlaw parents.

Wrong. Only heterosexual parents. Same sex parents are ok.

[FreeAtlanta]

The continued decline of the British Empire.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The voters better foot their collective foot down and stop this insanity.

The state, through their "help" loses many more children.

[pepsionice]

A funny story about Brits and their outlawing tendency. Someone started a campaign about 12 years ago about kangaroo bumpers...the big chrome bumpers that were typically mounted on SUVs. Most folks didn't pay the $3k for silly bumpers in the first place...but the rich British dudes did. There was apparently one accident in a village where someone in a kangaroo bumper SUV accidentally hit a pedestrian, and the cop's report indicated that the driver simply couldn't see the walker because of the mounted bumper. Within six months, there was a small but capable group pushing political action on having all kangaroo bumpers removed from SUVs...deeming them a hazard to the public. The best that the cops could show...was 3 or 4 accidents where SUVs were involved in a accident and the bumper might have contributed to the incident. For almost five years, this was a major topic within liberal left political circles...outlawing the kangaroo bumpers. Eventually the whole thing died down and is rarely mentioned today. The bottom line was that this was a liberal effort to bring the SUV crowd down a notch and force a ruling that would later lead onto more SUV restrictions.

In the same fashion...this anti-spanking effort will lead onto more rules. What you will eventually see is some parent with a rowdy 10 year old....who has to call the cops to take the kid away because the kid won't listen or obey the parents. The cost will be passed onto the taxpayer who has to pay for the cops, the social home, and the criminal kid who won't obey rules. Its society who ends up with the bill one way or another.

[Lazamataz]

Tell me again why we saved Britian from the Nazi's........?

Remind me how their self rule would have differed greatly from Nazi rule......?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The cost will be passed onto the taxpayer who has to pay for the cops, the social home, and the criminal kid who won't obey rules. Its society who ends up with the bill one way or another.

The spiral into socialism. Government calls the shots and the people morph from independent beings into cogs in the wheel.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

This is a different Britian.

[glock rocks]

If they'd become ruled by the Germans, then kangaroo bumpers would be mandatory, and their food would be edible.

Other than that... probably no difference.

[Alouette]

They will make an exception for Muslims who slit the throats of their daughters for "crimes of honor." Have to be sensitive to minority culture and all that.

[Carry_Okie]

The substitute will be Room 101.

[JoeSixPack1]

Good thing they outlawed parental spanking. Anybody spanking their parents should be in jail!

[mtbopfuyn]

Brits move to outlaw parental spanking

Someone needs to enroll in Jounalism Headlines 101.

[Lunatic Fringe]

We should be more like Britain... they are so enlightened [/sarcasm]

[Cobra64]

"Although three-quarters of parents in one Department of Health survey admitted hitting their children..."

First of all, "hitting" is different from "spanking."

My father spanked me several times with his belt; but he never hit me. There were times when his fist was cocked and targeted towards my chin, but he never "pulled the trigger." Spanking sometimes is the only way a parent can get his point across, especially if the child is having a temper tantrum.

Glad my children are all grown adults....

[Senator Goldwater]

As long as they don't outlaw spousal spanking.

[nmh]

God has it all wrong. Now we have well behaved kids in society that NEVER routinely do the unthinkable, right?

Prov.22;15

[15] Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

Prov.23:13

[13] Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.

Prov.29:15

[15] The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

Eventually this will happen in the U.S. ... so much for being able to live your beliefs.

[BBell]

I'd be a felon in good ole United Kingdom.

[Cobra64]

I can't remember the last time I spanked my parents.

[nmh]

"They will make an exception for Muslims who slit the throats of their daughters for "crimes of honor." Have to be sensitive to minority culture and all that."

Absolutely! After all slitting a throat is NOT the same as an evil spanking. Besides when the throad is slit for this reason, then there is one less criminal on the loose - the daughter. (written tongue in cheek)(sacacsm off)

[Austin Willard Wright]

Now, I think I can finally say that I don't agree with Tony Blair on anything.

[Cold Heat]

Oh Boy!.................

What a disease socialism can be.

[chance33_98]

Tell me again why we saved Britian from the Nazi's........?

Time for us to do so again. We saved them from one liberal scourge, we can save them from another. This one though is far more evil...

[JEppy]

This is all part of the zero tolerance - zero thinking process. Anything from a love pat to using a rod is enough to convict you.

[Terry Mross]

More than one child a week dies at the hands of a parent? A lot more people die each week who are murdered by some spoiled little mommy's boy who never got a spanking.

[Squantos]

Yep I'd agree with this law. It's much better to raise a rude, uncaring , inconsiderate POS hooligan that the bobbies will have to subdue with a riot baton after they burn and destroy half the town over such as a football game. This IMHO is alway better for all concerned in the community versus a swat on the butt from early on ages by a parent teaching respect and civility.

Does the sun even rise on the british empire anymore ?

< / SARCASM >

[DustyMoment]

Wow. How much freedom have you given up when the government steps in to outlaw parental discipline?

I guess the Brits are giving up as much or more of their freedom as we have. After all, we allowed the government to invade our bathrooms and decide how much water we can use to flush a toilet. That's why you can only buy low-flow toilets on the US.

This is all very disturbing.

[patton]

well put

[dr_who_2]

Nuts. Absolutely nuts. Basically, it'll give their police more important things to chase after than all those annoying calls about burglaries, muggings, and rapes.

[independentmind]

Who is going to save us?

I am afraid we are lagging Great Britain by about 10-15 years.

[fortunecookie]

eventually see is some parent with a rowdy 10 year old....who has to call the cops to take the kid away because the kid won't listen or obey the parents.

And that's what they want - for the state to be raising the child, as any good socialist nation would. Will parents be sent off to the gulags for disciplining their child? Will children be encouraged to rat out parents? How long before a willful, spoiled child makes up nonsense of the new 'abuse' just to get an annoying parent out of their hair?

On the bright side, building and manning the new gulags will provide much needed work for some.

[marshmallow]

The all-knowing, all-seeing gubmint will take care of things. They will tell you how to raise your children, how to discipline them, what they should eat. They will provide them with free contraceptives and should they get pregnant, an abortion also.

Britain is an apostate nation. Almost devoid of belief in God. And as history has shown time and time again, most recently with atheistic communism, when God is removed from everyday life, a vacuum is created. Something must inevitably fill that vacuum and it is usually the state.

[a_Turk]

How 'bout spousal spanking? Is that next?

[Major_Risktaker]

It's all about keeping lawyers/barristers employed.

America is following British Legal trends and soon if you speak the truth about a person in public you could be held liable for hate.

Just type UK Hate Crimes in Google and see what Americans are looking forward to.

Soon in the American press you could read something like the article below if the new Hatch-Kennedy bill law, British Law.

Hate crime police raid 150 addresses across London!

Mr. Hatch and Mr. Kennedy actively are looking for ways to get the bill (a new "hate-crimes" bill) approved by the Senate before the end of the current session.

America is greater than the Queen's England, now America is becoming the Queen's England! Let's see if GW bows down to the Queen on this upcoming visit as an indicator of America's future.

[lawdude]

"As long as they don't outlaw spousal spanking."

Did the Prince 'spank' Diana? Hmmmm. Does he spank his 'hired hands' (so's to speak)?

[Austin Willard Wright]

It is revealing that it is always Hatch, not Kennedy, who sells out to the other side. This speaks volumes about the internal rot in the GOP.

[volchef]

Be very glad your children are grown. We aren't allowed to use any disciplinary actions at all in public without reprisal from some person telling you what a horrible parent you are.

[Senator Goldwater]

"Did the Prince 'spank' Diana?"

Only when she was a bad girl.

[Redcloak]

With those children, he thought, that wretched woman must lead a life of terror. Another year, two years, and they would be watching her night and day for symptoms of unorthodoxy. Nearly all children nowadays were horrible. What was worst of all was that by means of such organizations as the Spies they were systematically turned into ungovernable little savages, and yet this produced in them no tendency whatever to rebel against the discipline of the Party. On the contrary, they adored the Party and everything connected with it. The songs, the processions, the banners, the hiking, the drilling with dummy rifles, the yelling of slogans, the worship of Big Brother -- it was all a sort of glorious game to them. All their ferocity was turned outwards, against the enemies of the State, against foreigners, traitors, saboteurs, thought-criminals. It was almost normal for people over thirty to be frightened of their own children. And with good reason, for hardly a week passed in which The Times did not carry a paragraph describing how some eavesdropping little sneak -- 'child hero' was the phrase generally used -- had overheard some compromising remark and denounced its parents to the Thought Police.

-1984, George Orwell

[sheik yerbouty]

It is the loony left that could use a spanking!

[Politicalmom]

Then when the kid has a tantrum, you get disapproving looks and "That kid needs a good spanking". It is really sickening.

[Scenic Sounds]

Well, this is their choice, but they may never have their own Michael Jackson.

[unixfox]

The sad thing is, the sheeple in this country will gladly follow in lockstep with the Brits. For "The Children" of course.

[Major_Risktaker]

I just finished read the BBC link (post 37) and the police arrested 27 people on suspicion of making racist threats and of homophobic harassment.

What is that all about, the thought police, phone taps or some over heard a conversation and told police?

As for HATCH, well he is a lawyer passing laws for more lawyers.

See you all in hate thought court!

[wardaddy]

what about "discipline" between consenting adults?

i thought that was a fav pastime for stodgy Brits....lol

[mrfixit514]

More than one child a week dies at the hands of a parent or carer,"

Put the offenders in jail and leave the rest of the parents alone.

[Riverman94610]

I got my share of the belt,the ruler,and the swat of mom's hand many a time in my childhood and it really wasn't as effective as an honest discussion about my offense and why my behavior needed changing.
Yet for some kids the THREAT of a mild"asswhupping"does wonders to subdue potentially destructive behavior.
Of course,The State has no business regulating parental discipline in the home as long as it doesn't go to the extreme of REAL child abuse and beatings that inflict bodily harm.
Riverman