For one to be so opposed to State violence on the one hand whilst practicing childhood assault, AKA spanking, on the other is profoundly hypocritical to say the least. Violence is violence whether it is inflicted on fully developed adults in their right minds or immaturely developed children with no capability for self-defense. There is nothing noble or honorable about saying “My child is well behaved because he/she listens to every word I say.” All this indicates is the ability of the parent to strike fear and intimidation into the pure heart of an unbiased human being who seeks only to learn about the world. Is the proper treatment of such a curious nature to inflict pain and punishment in response to actions we deem to be “errors” from the artificial vantage point of cultural propriety? If such barbaric treatment of children actually produced positive results we should logically expect its use to decrease as successive generations produce more docile children leading to docile adults. However this is not the case. When parents engage in corporal punishment it is usually done in the midst of uncontrollable fury and ferocious anger. Is this the proper atmosphere to “teach” one’s child about morality? If such savagery did amount to anything other than the repression of emotions and the formation of insidious grudges then we should necessarily be living in a genuine utopia free of crime and mental illness.
If we would like see a more peaceful world we must first by starting to treat with kindness and respect those in our society that will bring about this fresh future, the children. Only when their needs, desires, and curiosities are given the proper deference we would associate with a wise elder will we begin to approach a truly peaceful and voluntary society. Sure there will always be violence in a peaceful society as surely as there will always be death in amongst a vibrant rainforest. The key is not to feed the violent seed within each child.
Childhood Spanking and Corporal Punishment
“We expect kids to sit for hours and do what they are told to do, and if they can’t do it, nobody kindly say, ‘I see you’re restless, get up and play.’ They say, ‘You better go get tested for ADHD so we can put you on drugs…’” Peter Gray, PhD
Just do good things
A practitioner of Eastern Healing arts with degrees in Acupuncture and Chinese medicinal herbs, I have always questioned the status quo, a path which led me to peaceful anarchism. Through my journey, I have worn many hats, that of a classical pianist, avid chess player, philosopher, comedian, and now father of two little anarchists. My wife brands me as a Cultural Critic, but I am simply following my thirst for knowledge and passion for writing.
