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No Dog in That Hunt

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So California will be voting to outlaw spanking before age 3. And, ... guess who has to weigh in on the situation. Yep, Bill O'Reilly, ... the man who thinks the kidnapped kid, for four years, "... had it good compared to home, where he would have had to go to school and wouldn't have access to the computer 24/7." (paraphrased) I think Obermann gave "Orally" a "Worst Person In The World" Award over what "Orally" said.

Of course, O'Reilly denies that he said it, and even if he did, his words have been misinterpreted by the "liboral" media. It is amazing to me that right wing folks jump into a race to aire their comments, when they "... don't even have a dog in the race!" Does Bill O'Reilly have kids who "should be paddled every time they lie?" Nyet! But, don't get me wrong, O'Reilly does have a DOG in the race when it comes to abusing women. Heck, I'm in favor of fining any woman who does no breast feed her baby up to one year old.

How about "Bimbo" Limbaugh? Of course he doesn't have a dog in the race either, but he has a dog in the race for abusing maids and drugs. I probably have a worse back than Limbaugh has, and he can pull out my medication history and cannot find a history of drug abuse or doctor shopping. Yes, I use hydrocordone, a very addictive drug, ... but hydrocordone addicts must take a dozen a day or so to be considered addicted, and believe me, ... there are many addicts who take more than that.

I expect to hear that Bill Bennett thinks he has a dog in that California race, but here is a man who lost millions in gambling and passed-it-off because it was "extra money" and had no impact on his family's income and welfare. Jeez, Bill, how "St. Jude's" of you. Even Macdonald houses could have used that money, or the man who causes right-wingers to seethe, Jimmy Carter, who could have found housing for 1,000s with that money.

If you haven't noticed, the right winger's are really "laying into" Jimmy Carter, with the conclusion that Carter's presidency was the worst in history, even "worser" than George Bushes ever will be considered. I LMHO over that one.

So, ... back to California and the corporal punishment issue. When is hitting punishment and when is it abuse? Should girl's be paddled or just boys? Fact is, that when corporal punishment is used in the home, those kids will be raised to use corporal punishment on their children. James Dobson believes there is times when corporal punishment should be used. Like when a child runs out into the traffic, ... that child should be "swatted" so that he understands that the street is no place for a child, and the child should understand that in a concrete way.

Now, as I look down on the issue, I cannot help think about "Oh Brother Where Art Thou," where Holli Hunter is walking with her 6 or 7 kids behind her, each holding on to a rope. There is less than a second between death and life, and my wife have tasted it and continue to taste it foe over 30 years. I hate death of children. Children are supposed to bury their parents, ... not the other way around.

Here's the thing, if we can find one family who does not or did not use corporal punishment and their children turned out fine, then all parents can do away with corporal punishment. Well, ... I know plenty of parents, beside ourselves, who have children who are productive and never had to deal with corporal punished.

Hitler was corporally punished by his dad in a way that even the most pro-spanker would consider it abusive. If corporal punishment works, then children who are punished using that method, should never get in trouble at school. But it "just ain't so!" Children paddled at home, generally is considered for corporal punishment at school. And I can guarantee anyone that using corporal punishment at school DOES NOT WORK. Why? If it worked, that child should only be paddled once and, thus, would never darken the door of the principal's office again. But, that "ain't" the way it happens. Those same children are seen over and over again for unruliness.

What is the line between corporal punishment and abuse. I can guarantee this, that step-fathers should never use corporal punishment on their step children. Why? Because that child is not theirs and WILL psychologically damage the relationship between the step-father and the step-child, because, after all, "He's not my real daddy." I rewarded a student for good attendance at school once, by taking him fishing. I prayed big time that the 5th grader would catch a fish and he did. He caught two, and I caught a 4 lb walleye. Many years later, he was sent to us as a placement in our "In Home, Short-Term Delinquent Shelter," and we pulled out his picture holding the two fish, both white bass, and the walleye.

"Do you know what I was thinking when I was walking out on the dam to fish? I was thinking, "He is not my father and will never be my father." I was not surprised.

"I have 2 sons and 2 daughters. That fishing trip had nothing to do with being a father or not. Believe me, as my children grew older, I took them fishing many times." Sadly, that young man died in his early 20s because of acute alcohol poisoning.

Most conservative Christian use Proverbs to support corporal punishment. "Spare the rod and spoil the child." Most of the Proverbs are credited to Solomon, and as smart as he was supposed to be, as a father, Solomon was a horrible failure. I suggest anyone who thinks not, should read Kings and see just how horrid his kids were.

Remember, too, that the "rod" is used in the Old Testament as a long stick-like cane with a turned end, which was used to "guide" the shepherd's sheep in the right direction and was never, ever used for hitting sheep. And the word "sheep" is used in both the Old and New Testament as followers of Christ. So there is plenty of support in The Bible to support the non-use of a rod to physically punish children.

Finally, I want to share about a young man who was ordered by the judge to come to our shelter. He was a very bitter, bitter child, whose mother's boyfriend used corporal punishment to keep the young man "in-lane." The teenage hated his step dad. Hated him! That young man was executed two years ago for a double murder in Oklahoma.

This week, the number 11 song on Country Music ratings is named "Alyssa Lied." Great song, and I want to share the lyrics with you, here as support for banning corporal punishment. No I didn't write it. Wished I had, though I have written and performed several of my own works.

This is posted for educational purposes only.
Alyssa Lies

Jason Michael Carroll - Alyssa Lies Lyrics


My little girl met a new friend,
just the other day,
on the playground at school
between the tires and the swings

But she came home with tear-filled eyes,
and she said to me "Daddy, Alyssa lies"

Well I just brushed it off at first,
'cause I didn't know how much my little girl had been hurt
or the things she had seen.
I wasn't ready when I said "You can tell me"

and she said...

"Alyssa lies to the classroom,
Alyssa lies everyday at school,
Alyssa lies to the teachers
as she tries to cover every bruise"

My little girl laid her head down that night to go to sleep.
As I stepped out the room, I heard her say a prayer so soft and sweet
"God bless my mom and my Dad
and my new friend, Alyssa
*oh*I know she needs you bad

Because Alyssa lies to the classroom,
Alyssa lies everyday at school,
Alyssa lies to the teachers
as she tries to cover every bruise"

(bridge)

I had the worst night of sleep in years
as I tried to think of a way to calm her fears
I knew just what it was I had to do *I knew exactly what I had to do*
but when we got to school on Monday I heard the news

My little girl asked me why everybody looked so sad
the lump in my throat grew bigger
with every question that she asked.
Until I felt the tears run down my face
and I told her that Alyssa wouldn't be at school today

'Cause she doesn't lie in the classroom
she doesn't lie anymore at school
Alyssa lies with Jesus
because there's nothin' anyone would do

Tears filled my eyes when my little girl asked me why
Alyssa lies
*Oh Daddy, oh* Daddy tell me why
Alyssa lies
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Dale Hill Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Is a 34 year retired educator with a Masters Degree in Counseling - a free-lance writer with articles in Spanish and English Guideposts, Mothering, Oklahoma Observer, Oklahoma Gazette, Westview, Oklahoma Reader, The Lookout, Christian Standard, (more...)
 
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