Dear Editor,
I would like to commend the person who wrote on the topic of corporal punishment in this day and age on May 1. I am deeply saddened when I hear, “A few lashes did not kill we”; “If it wasn’t for the belt, I would have not turned out the way I am today”; “Spare the rod and spoil the child.” These are just a few of the phrases that are commonly used by parents to justify abusing our children.
When will we stop to understand that children are like sponges and they absorb what is happening around them. Parents fail to realize that the way in which we treat our children is the way they will treat their partners, children, etc. We are living in the 21st century and it is time we stopped the corporal punishment. There are millions of alternatives teachers can use as opposed to spanking a child.
It is very ironic we that we are against gender-based violence and domestic violence and yet these are the very methods we portray in the schools.
We are saying it is right for a parent to hit children, so therefore what do we say to children? It is also right for parents to hit each other whenever there is a disagreement in the home?
Let’s think about the consequences of our actions instead of acting and then thinking afterwards.
Yours faithfully,
Diana Haynes
