Pope says it's OK to spank children if you don't demean them

[© tweed]

this stuff baffles me* -- that the only acceptable civilian-on-civilian assault is the assault of small children. 


*though it really doesn't.  parents are a power structure with dictatorial power inside the home.  who wouldn't want violence as a tool?

[© tweed]

That Tweed is asserting that spanking and beatings are equivalent

I'll jump in here and clarify, since my post has taken on some interest.  all I'll do is state categorically that Alcon is interpreting my post correctly, and you're not.  a 'normal' spanking is less harmful than whacking a kid half to death with a wrench.  much as a little fisticuffs outside of a bar is less egregious an offense than whacking your wife with the butt of a handgun. however, all of the above are part of the same category of acts: unwelcome, nonconsensual acts of violence against another person.  

the other issue is that an assaulted child has less ability to defend himself/seek retribution than an adult.  in this sense I personally find the act more offensive than a right hook in a bar fight, even if the physical harm is demonstrably less severe: amount of physical damage shouldn't be the sole criterion in evaluating the egregiousness of the varying 'levels' of assault.