Look, I disapprove of corporal punishment just as much as anyone else in our circle of people who think we're more civilized than the rest, but still: Do we really need a federal ban on spanking implements?
"She also asked the federal government to deem The Rod hazardous to children, and ban the sale of all products designed for spanking."
Take it to the states, lady. (Of course she won't, because she lives in Massachusetts and has the conceit of saving the butts of those poor kids in Mississippi and Alabama and so on.)
At least the article wasn't a hatchet job on homeschoolers themselves - what the link from Obscure Store led me to fear.
Posted by Matt Bruce at January 10, 2005 10:01 AMAm I the only one that suspects the article will increase sales to people that are planning to spank consenual adults?
Posted by: OTC at January 10, 2005 11:56 AMHmm, come to think of it, yeah.
That might actually be a good reason to oppose corporal punishment (though obviously not to support a federal law): Anything used as a method of consensual sexual pleasure is probably a bad idea for disciplining children, lest you confuse people's psyches and nerve endings.
(I suppose anything used as punishment could become a source of roleplay-based sexual pleasure precisely because it's a punishment ritual, but still: I think a fair number of consensual adult spankers get off on that because of the sensation even aside from the punishment overtones.)
Posted by: me at January 10, 2005 12:35 PM$5 ?! What a racket. What happened to taking off your belt, or cutting a switch from the tree out front?
This really falls under legislation which would ban Useless Consumer Products, like the Electric S'mores Maker.
Posted by: maribeth at January 10, 2005 12:55 PM