You wrote: "And I think the use of plastic rods and special paddles is obscene."
And you would be wrong. The use of plastic rods and special paddles are a means of REPRODUCIBLY providing an instrument which will hurt but not do lasting physical damage. You were actually MORE likely to injure your child by using your hand than if you would have used a paddle (paddle spreads the force of the blow over a larger area).
You're absolutely correct.
I got really flamed by some guy a few weeks ago on a similar thread but I'll try again.
I am the proud owner of "The Rod." While rarely used, it holds tremendous value with my children. All I need to do is mention "The Rod" and they usually straighten right up.
The first thing I did upon receipt was to try the rod on myself, hard. Yup, it hurt, but it did no physical damage. Correcting a child with an instrument such as this puts a decent amount of energy on a small area of the behind. Using your entire adult hand, it's real easy to accidentally apply too much energy and knock a child around, compressing his spine in ways it shouldn't go.
Corporal punishment is meant to be a loving act of correction, not a beating done in anger. A tool like The Rod helps the kid to associate the punishment with an object, not the parent.
Flame away.
And you would be wrong.
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The key words here are "I think"...I, as in ME...My opinion. The use of a rod is repulsive to ME and it appears your opinion is different.
I think most caring parents do the best they can based on their upbringing, their knowledge, their temperaments, and the temperaments of their kids. My parents did the best they could based on what they knew at the time, as did their parents. I'm glad your chosen methods work for you. Mine are working for me.