95% of the JuvenileDelinquents probably were, but then we come into the so called normal kids/adults who were not.
In an earlier post, I did say that I had considered all other influences and weeded them out, which indicated that I was examining the apparent primary source of changed behavior. I do accept the notion/fact that not all no spank kids will turn out to be selfish monsters, just like some really heavily ‘beaten’ kids turned out just fine (no thanks to the beatings).
However, the no physical contact movement has gotten so far out of hand that not only has it affected the rights of parents who choose to spank their kids, but warped the authority of the schools – a primary authority figure in a child’s life aside from home. It also has diminished the authority of the police and of any other adult.
When it comes to the point that your desires legally affect a parents right to discipline his/her kids within an accepted level and shows kids that even cops as well as the legal system have to treat them gently, then I take offense.
If I catch a 14 year old guy - who is probably bigger than me - breaking into my car by smashing the window and I, in anger, beat the crap out of him before calling the cops, then I not only can be arrested for child abuse or assault, but his parents can sue me for using extreme violence on a minor. However, no one would consider the point that my car is my biggest expense, that my PIP insurance will not cover that $150 window, that I get to clean up and temporarily patch the mess and that, given a chance, the kid would have taken the whole car and I probably would not have gotten it back in running condition.
That’s because of the new, kinder, gentler laws for children.
As I pointed out, shortly after this new no contact rage began, parents started suing the schools and teachers for the lamest reasons involving their kids – a basketball player refused to take a piss test for drugs, which was mandatory for the team – his folks sued over forced invasion of privacy. A kid refused to open his locker for a gun search – the locker, belonging to the school, was opened and no gun found but he and his folks sued over invasion of privacy and trespassing. It seems that since his stuff was in the locker, it was considered his property. Snapping off his lock was considered forceful entry, all done without a search warrant. (On this one, I think the lawyer just enjoyed writing down a whole bunch of stuff to make it look impressive.)
The no hit people indirectly or directly are responsible for laws weakening parental and State authority over kids. There is no reason for a parent to get all bent out of shape if a teacher grabs a kid who is not listening and makes them sit, or gives a 12 year old a little shake to get his attention. He/she is not ripping the kids arm off.
Not all kids require a spanking. I never stated they did but most, being kids, in my opinion, require a swat now and then when talking is not sufficient. Of course, now along with the decrease in authority, the kids have been given a whole new bunch of ‘weapons’ to use against adults who irritate them. Assault child abuse, sexual molestation. Claim either of these against an adult and 99% of the time, that adult is in for a real hard time with the law even when innocent. The consequences for the kid making such a false statement are much milder than the crap the adult has to go through trying to clear him or herself.
Video games. Entertainment makers used to have a conscience when making things for kids. Now, there is a lawsuit involving a city where they have decided to restrict bloody, gory video games to cloistered, age limited sections of video arcades so young kids may not play them. The makers of the games are suing to have the games returned to the normal area over ‘freedom of speech.’ They don’t care that young kids can get used to extreme violence and gore, or the messages such games send, they want the quarters those kids invest.
The video game executives and designers are the young adults who came up during the no hit fad, who have not learned personal responsibility even now that it has been determined that TV and video games influence kids. They want to do what they want to do and that is make money regardless of the consequences.
How do I know they are young adults? Because in my day, there were no PCs until around the 80s and code writing for games has to be done by those who were kids then and grew up with computers. In the 70s, we thought a palm sized calculator with an LCD was one step away from the Jetsons! Besides, I watched the interview some time back with the guys who made the controversial cops and robbers game where the object is to kill as many cops as possible and to run over pedestrians. They were like 25 - 26 years old then and not concerned at all with the ramifications of their game.
Of course, if I did hit FarTreker, he’d then become obedient, well-behaved, polite, respectful and nonviolent, right? 