How do you feel about the Massachusetts law that will send parents to jail for spanking their child?

I think this is a pretty controversial piece of legislation! Good discussion topic, I just want to know what you think. I live in California, and it's getting to be a pretty big deal over here. A lot of my classmates think that this law will not get passed (and I agree with them).How do you feel about the Massachusetts law that will send parents to jail for spanking their child?
I think it is ridiculous.





When I was a child and did something wrong, my mother spanked me. My throbbing behind had a psychological effect on me all right; I learned never to do it again.





I mean, seriously. Why should my mother go to jail for something I did wrong?How do you feel about the Massachusetts law that will send parents to jail for spanking their child?
Just another assault on parental authority.





This coming from a father of two boys whom I have never laid a hand on.
I think they should start building ALOT more jails.
maybe there's a high rate of what's considered disciplined or child abuse...so to protect the kids..they just passed it..
Kids are going to take control of the house. If the parents don't obey, johnny will cry to the cops that he was spanked.
I'm a strong proponent of parental rights. If parents think that what's best for thier child includes corporal punishment, I don't believe the state has any right to stop them.
There are negatives and positives to this law. For example, if child abuse is very bad. Thats how theres a positive. But lets say, the parents can't threaten to spank them if they don't obey[etc] then they will just say ';i'll call the police.';


wont that make your child rebelious and disobedient?


i think they should make it for more severe child abuse, because when i got a spanking, it made me never do it again. i saw that doing those types of things will end up in consequences. if it gets out of hand, thats when the police/etc etc should start taking things into mind. but seriously, i think the law is stupid. children need discipline, and if they don't get it, thats not so great. The law is silly, thats what i think.





-thanks for posting, i wanted to debate about this. =]
One more step to ';cradle to grave gov't';.





I blame the Dems largely. Smoking, trans fat, etc. Not to mention that about 66-70% of our budget is now handouts/entitlements.





We've trained people to not be able to handle their own lives. More Dem to blame than Repub. in my opinion.
Isn't this stupid. They send the police to arrest parents for disciplining their child. But when the brat goes to the street and kills someone the cop gets him.The government is the problem. There is child abuse but to say every parent in America that discipline there child is a child abuser is demonic. We live in a communist state people. Politicians use this crap to get votes while they destroy your kids. Arresting good parents for disciplining children is sick and evil.Proverbs 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. This pagan nation is getting more evil by the day. With higher prices, more things for children to get in like drugs preteen sex and many other things. Parents have it hard enough without a Psycho -Government to deal with on top of that. America is not the best place to raise a family anymore.
I think that spanking is fine as long as you don't go over board with it. My parents spank me, nothing really is wrong with me. They just want to make another law to tell everyone how to raise children. I hope this law won't go though.
I dont really like the idea. I think that your taking away a parents right to discipline their child. Legislating how we raise our children in small issues can grow to be a lot larger I am not comfortable with the government in any for telling me how to raise my kids.
It sounds a little like the Hitler Youth program, which tried to break down the family unit in favor of loyalty to the state. There is a point where the state can and should intrude, but spanking doesn't cross that line in my opinion.
I think many menbers of the Massachusetts' State Legislature need to be spanked, probably on the head to see if it is possible to make their brains work.





There is a difference between spanking a child and beating a child and if they don't know what it is, they are incompetent to be writing legislation.
it's a sad day when a parent can't discipline a child
i think it's a stupid law to pass.





i'm 16 years old and was spanked as a child (my mom still tells me that i'm not too old). i was 12 the last spanking (haven't gotten in trouble since then except for when i didn't pay my sister back $200 and i lost all electronic privileges for about 3 mo. - till i paid her back). my mom used a wooden spoon, a leather strap (and yes i had welts when she was done). i also had to write 1,000 times ';I will not.....'; and had extra chores, etc. but i do NOT consider it abuse. i deserved every single one of them (except for one when my bro got me in trouble when i didn't do anything, but he apologized and so did my mom). i knew my parents loved me, we cuddled all the time, they told me they loved me every chance they got, and i grew up happy and healthy. now, i'm 16, straight A COLLEGE STUDENT with a 4.48 GPA. not on drugs, never had alcohol. never had sex, never had a boyfriend, haven't had my first kiss. nor do i want one. i don't need a boyfriend. they just add pressure. i just recently got my first cell-phone and I pay for it. I appreciate how my parents raised me. i'm allowed to go out with my friends when i want (just as long as i let them know who, what, when, where, and why. but i have a curfew and make sure i stick with it so i won't lose that privilege), I'm a solid Christian, well-disciplined with a job, and my parents TRUST me. i don't mind them searching my computer or my room, because I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO HIDE. i know they love me and i will raise my kids the same.
I think its stupid,





There is spanking and then there is abuse.


Why do you think we have all these emo kids running around because they needed a spanking not a time out.
Spank 'em anyway. A stupid law does not relieve parents of their responsibility.
I hope it doesn't pass, either. There's abuse, and there's spanking. Spanking is not abuse. There's too much government interference in our lives as it is, and this is something they need to stay out of.
Its insanity!! Whats next? No yelling or lecturing no saying NO to your kids? Where does it end? No government has the right to tell a parent how they should or should not raise a child not in this context anyway. If we dont stop maddness like this from the secular progressives we are going to end up with the inmates running the asylum. Massachusetts and Teddy Kennedy truly deserve each other they are a match made in heaven!
gov. should not complain when they have a bunch of undicipline adults in the future. because they are the next generation.
When I first heard of this I thought it was purely ridiculous, SPANKING always does a little good. I do consider that Child Abuse is extremely wrong, but a spanking is not child abuse. It is enough to know that the United States is consider as one of the countries that raises pure brats, If we really want to lower the crime rate we need to learn how to discipline the children first.





It is not with violent screaming, or whipping or hanging a child from a bag under a fire that a child will learn how to respect orders from their parents or teachers of future employer.





THIS IS WHAT IS HAPPENING, many children think it is okay to have total disregard towards authority.





There is an age, between ages 4 through 6 is where we can give a child a spanking, not with belts, paddles or any other object. Enough with the hand, never in public and less than half a minute.





ALWAYS GIVE A REASON behind a disciplinary action, never let the kid wonder what he did wrong and tell them you love them and that those are the reason, she or he will not be able to play with their friends, toys or any other fun activity.





Three spanks on their behind not their backs are enough for a child to get scared enough and never do what they did wrong again.
I think it is a good idea, and I hope it passes. Spanking is a brutal form of violence, and it is a form of sexual assault, because the buttocks are a sexual region. Parents who spank are no better than other child molesters. You would not be allowed to hit an adult, so why should you be allowed to hit a child? Children should have the right to protection from assault, rape, and battery, too. I'm glad that massachusetts is considering treating children as human beings instead of an underclass of subhuman slaves you can beat whenever you're frustrated with something.
I think spanking if horriable anyways. My question is how will people know if you spank or not behind doors?





Not to so severe that you end up with bruises on your body which is noticiable.
i think it will


because child abuse is not allowed


ya like


if theyre kidding around


and spanking butts


like my friends do to me


lol


then its okay


but if they dont have an excuse


its sad that theyre kids have to go through it