# Coercion **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 4, 2000, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coercion/28089 "2000-08-04T02:47:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2000, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coercion/28089/21 "2000-08-04T20:34:39Z")
I sub to the TCS list…it’s a hoot and the people there are soooo self-righteous…some of them are okay, though. What cracks me up is someone once asked what would happen if you had a child who was depressed and cutting their arms up…and they said that it was okay for the child to do this. They also think anorexia and suicide are preferences…there are no such things as brats. I think there are a FEW people on there who disagree…I dont’ know… ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2000, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coercion/28089/22 "2000-08-04T21:05:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*I sub to the TCS list…it’s a hoot and the people there are soooo self-righteous…some of them are okay, though. > > What cracks me up is someone once asked what would happen if you had a child who was depressed and cutting their arms up…and they said that it was okay for the child to do this. > They also think anorexia and suicide are preferences…there are no such things as brats. > > I think there are a FEW people on there who disagree…I dont’ know… > \*\* I know some who lurk and who disagree. Were you there for the great grand debate on whether it was right to force your child to accompany you to a public toilet if they didn’t want to? Some list members apparently felt it was better to wet your pants than to coerce your child. I am on a list where there are parents who try to follow TCS and I notice that those with more stroppy kids find it harder. Funny that ;). But then I got called a jailer by the TCS crowd for my child rearing methods. Ookay, whatever… primaflora ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2000, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coercion/28089/23 "2000-08-04T21:18:38Z")
No, I wasn’t there…really? They said that? TCS members have a habit of finding out threads where they are being discussed, btw! Let’s see, I did see the debates on: A 13 year old boy having sex with a 26 year old woman And recently, I read about a child who threw a fit in a store and broke expensive glass ware. And people thought that was okay…whatever… ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coercion/28089/24 "2000-08-05T01:50:01Z")
> [@](#): > > Sometimes child does things that cause me to lose control. Duh. 🙂 Like the > other day at the > zoo - she climbed into an enclosement and started to chase after a peacock. I > could hear > myself calling her at the moment - it sounded totally conventional :-(((( Then > she tried to > enter a forbidden (but not locked, darn it!! they could close the door at least > instead of the > stupid chain across) building - and I could hear sounds of a pretty large animal > from the > inside, or so it seemed. I could not make out the text on the door as we are > traveling in > Europe, so I did not even know what building it was. I started to curse loudly > and picked the > poor baby up - she got frightened, I think. I apologized immediately, then we > went to some > other place to cool off, then we returned and talked how I was wrong, she > understood it, and > we even entered the building for a second (she did not care to stay) and saw > that it was in > fact empty. Well, more or less happy end, but can anybody give me any pointers > on how not to > lose it the next time an “emergency” comes? Or a perceived emergency? Oh that’s just great! “My kid got eaten by a tiger, but at least I respected her wishes!” Bah! ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coercion/28089/25 "2000-08-05T02:09:18Z")
Guinastasia, it looks like they are on fine form :rolleyes:. Actually I would really like it if they did come over to this forum and attempted to defend their beliefs and practises. I have seen them do drive by attacks on a couple of lists I belong to and it is always interesting to admire the total lack of connection with reality that people like SL seem to enjoy. I am fond of that old perennial of TCS - the discussion of whether it is better to allow your kids to kill the pets rather than coerce them. Of course I also find it fascinating that they seem to think that either you spend your entire life finding common preferences or you are a total child abusing monster. primaflora who is still recovering from the time someone told her that TCS was the Gold Standard of parenting… I am very happy she lives on a different continent to me… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7feea3/32.png) [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coercion/28089/26 "2000-08-05T04:22:16Z")
[continuing TCS hijack][grammer nitpick]shouldn’t that be "different continent from me[grammer nitpick[/nitpick] If you child were standing in the middle of the street, and a car were coming towards him, would it be coercion to push him out of way? [/continuing TCS hijack] I believe that as long as the possibility of coercion exists, the necessity of coercion exists, as a preemptive measure to protect people from coercion. For instance, suppose the police are serving an arest warrant for suspicion of murder. They pull over the car that the suspect is driving, pull out their guns, and demand that he exit the vehicle with his hands in the air. This is coercion, but it is preemptive coercion to prevent the suspect from driving off or shooting the police. ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coercion/28089/27 "2000-08-05T04:34:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Ryan \* > \*\*[continuing TCS hijack][grammer nitpick]shouldn’t that be "different continent from me[grammer nitpick[/nitpick] > If you child were standing in the middle of the street, and a car were coming towards him, would it be coercion to push him out of way? > [/continuing TCS hijack] > I believe that as long as the possibility of coercion exists, the necessity of coercion exists, as a preemptive measure to protect people from coercion. For instance, suppose the police are serving an arest warrant for suspicion of murder. They pull over the car that the suspect is driving, pull out their guns, and demand that he exit the vehicle with his hands in the air. This is coercion, but it is preemptive coercion to prevent the suspect from driving off or shooting the police. \*\* the grammar nitpick? Damned if I know. It looks right both ways to me. The vehicle thingy? If the child didn’t want to be pushed, I guess it technically is coercion however it is my understanding that even the most hardened TCS’er does the rational thing, when immediate danger is the problem IMO coercion is just not possible or desirable to avoid in all circumstances. It serves a purpose. primaflora who just coerced the 2 yo into a nappy change ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coercion/28089/28 "2000-08-05T20:42:41Z")
Or what about Mr. David Douche? LOL…that man was offended when someone mentioned a book entitled 365 TV-Free Activities, claiming THAT is was evil and anti-information…um…okay! Sounds like SOMEONE needs to pull the stick out of his ass! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coercion/28089.md?page=1)