"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Ignoring this axiom can have serious consequences in life. On the national stage, it can have disastrous consequences. Redefining child abuse to include virtually any punishment is an excellent, and tragic, example.
At some point in the last ten to fifteen years, someone, somewhere, got it in their mind that spanking constitutes child abuse. And, like small children willing to believe anything a smiling adult tells them, our country, as a whole, decided to believe. Unlike the small children, we don't have the excuse of extreme youth and lack of reason. This acceptance was stupid and dangerous. And now we're paying the penalty.
And so are the actual children--today's youth, and the young men and women in their 20's.
Child abuse does exist. It's not a myth. Beating a child so they have welts on their backs and legs is abuse. Threatening to kill a beloved pet is abuse. Implying, if you are a parent, that you won't love them anymore or wish they had never been born is abuse. Adults who do that to a child should themselves be punished by the courts.
Spanking a child isn't abuse. Washing a child's mouth out with soap for swearing or talking back or something similar is not abuse. Neither is (barring a medical condition) making them stand in the corner for an hour (they can tolerate it). Or denying them TV /video game/recreational activities privileges. Or making them go to bed without dinner. Ours is the best fed country on the planet. Your child won't starve to death if they miss one of the three, possibly four meals you're giving them each day.
Proof of the above is the fact that most Americans over 40 aren't in prison, lazy, hate their parents, or have trouble functioning in society. Most of us past that age have experienced most of the above punishments at one point or another.
Now, however, parents feel restricted in how they discipline children. Spank an unruly child in public, depending on where you live, you can get arrested. Far, far cry from the day when the local police would applaud a parent spanking such a child. Back then, we learned respect for our parents, teachers, elders, those in uniform (police and firemen included) and otherwise in authority. We could disagree with them, but had to accept they were in charge.
In my house, there wasn't much debate over parental decisions. I was six years old when "Batman" premiered on the ABC network. Nothing, and I mean nothing, was more important to me than watching that (to six year old Steve) very gripping, highly daring television drama.
Remember, I was six years old.
Half the year, the show began at 8PM....my bedtime. There were no VCRs or upcoming DVD/BD releases in those prehistoric days. You missed your favorite TV show in 1966, you, my friend, were screwed. In some households, I'm sure children were given a break, and allowed to stay up an extra thirty minutes, to see how Batman and Robin would save the citizens of Gotham from all kinds of villainy. Sadly, the Davis household was not among that select group.
There was crying, tantrums, fits and other howls of protest from the future Me. Didn't matter. Bedtime was bedtime, and not even Batman could earn me a measly extra half hour. And when my parents had enough of my protests, I did indeed face punitive measures.
Today, of course, a parent can simply promise to tape a show, or get the DVD in a few months. But that might not be good enough. And with virtually all proven methods of discipline taken away, just giving in often seems the only option.
A million years ago, when I attended public schools, I worried about bullies who really, really wanted to beat the hell out of me. Today's kids worry about bullies who plan to gun them down. When I was in school, teachers and administrators dealt with kids chewing gum, running in the halls, and passing notes. Today, they deal with kids who assault teachers and pass vile comments about sensitive kids on social networks, encouraging them to kill themselves.
Back when I was a minor, I was well behaved in department stores, whether I was with my parents, with friends, or by myself. Today, unless I'm at Walmart at 2AM--and sometimes even then--I can't spend more than ten minutes in such a store without hearing children screaming at the top of their lungs, or running around as if they're trying out for the Olympics. I'm not talking about toddlers...I'm talking about ten year olds, and sometimes older kids.
The first group of kids who got the 'spare the rod' approach are now in their 20's. Their basic attitude is the world owes them a living. They feel they should be able to do pretty much whatever they want, and if they get called on it, it's just not fair.
In a sense, they're right. But their unfair treatment isn't coming now, it came years ago when Americans stupidly agreed that it takes a village to raise their child and the government had a right to monitor their parenting. We all know (sarcasm alert) how well the government does things.
This can be corrected. It won't be easy, as the government and the media will insist parents have no right to discipline their kids (they won't use those words, but that will be the gist of the message). But here's a dirty little secret...Those guys work for you. Deny media outlets that say you're stupid the ratings and revenue they need. Seek out and support with your vote political candidates who agree that you, not the government, should have final say in how to raise your kids.
That's how to save the next generation of Americans. For the young men and women already past their 18th birthday, and not understanding why they have to earn anything, all that can be given are apologies for not giving them the good swift kick in the butt that we got when we needed it. We're going to have to be blunt with them about how to function. It won't be fun for us or them. But this is the result of our "it takes a village" approach.
It's not too late. But we're in the fourth quarter, and the other team is ahead. Time to step up. For the kids' sake...and America's.
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Mighty Steve is The Geeky Conservative. His views do not represent the world at large, which is why the planet is so messed up. You may email His Epicness at
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