Garth Rattray | I do not believe in corporal punishment

My father, of blessed memory, was a very strong believer and proponent of corporal punishment. He always said that his mother (whom he ‘worshipped’) believed in it and therefore, so did he. He thought that it made him the man that he became. He laid the blame for just about every social ill squarely at the feet of parents who were soft on, or spoilt, their children.

My parents used to repeat an anecdote about a murderer who was sentenced to death, and whose last request was to see his mother (she raised him). The story goes that as she visited him on death row, he beckoned her to come close so that he could whisper something important in her ear. When she got near to him, he bit off her ear and told her that if she had beat him as a child, he would not have ended up on death row.

Even as a child, I knew that there was something wrong with beating children. I always believed that, if I inadvertently strayed off the very straight and narrow path, explaining to me the repercussions of my error was adequate for me to take corrective measures in the future. I never hated or resented my father for his beliefs; however, my views on corporal punishment were vindicated when, close to his transition, he would repeatedly telephone me and sincerely and emotionally apologise for beating me in the distant past. I, in responding, told him honestly that I did not resent him for it and that I am just fine.

I do not believe in hitting, slapping, pinching, spanking, shoving, collaring, shouting at or threatening children for any reason whatsoever. I had a very close friend in a stray cat that entered our lives many years ago. I named her Damnpuss. At first, she used to attempt jumping up on furniture and the kitchen countertop. I stopped her by saying an emphatic “NO!”, slapping the furniture and hissing at her. She never jumped on anything or stole food. If you train dogs or cats by saying “NO!”, putting your hand out as if to signal “STOP” and stomping your foot, they will understand. If pets, so-called dumb animals, can understand and be trained without the use of any violence, so can children.

BIBLE VERSES ARE CONTEXTUAL

The reason that I do not buy into Proverbs 13:24, “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes,” is because Bible verses are both chronologically and culturally contextual and should be taken as such. Proverbs, essentially a book of good advice, also says, “He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.” Are we also to believe that we must not give information to the authorities? Of course not! Gathering ‘intelligence’ is essential to our crime-stopping efforts. This is how many heinous murders are solved.

Genesis 9:6 says, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed…:”. The Old Testament also speaks to executing adulterers, blasphemers, those who work on the Sabbath day, men who deflower complicit virgins – along with the complicit virgins – and practitioners of ‘obeah’. Our Christian (New Testament) beliefs do not permit such things, so why should beating children be allowed?

Many parents and authority figures beat children out of anger and frustration. Some will go too far…we have the gruesome evidence to prove it. Because of corporal punishment, many children perceive violence as the typical/accepted way to control others, to subjugate, to punish for emotional hurt and/or to express displeasure/anger. We have loads of evidence for that, too.

We need a kinder, gentler society; violence against children, for whatever reason, will never achieve that goal.

Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and garthrattray@gmail.com.