Do You Spank Your Children?

I think its funny. I find it absolutely hilarious when people go off on tangents in the opinion section of the newspaper, or on blogs, or even spouting it off to your face the topic of spanking children. I know that it is still a widely practiced tool for disciplining one's children. However, talking about it in public places seems to be more of a cultural and societal sin than cheating on your spouse, or marrying for financial security.

The thing that is funny, to me, is that many of those people who so openly refuse the idea of spanking children - and to some extent, condemn those who do practice it - use what they consider to be verbal disciplines. Maybe I am reading too much into this, or maybe I am retarded, but hear me out. Those verbal reprimands are often much more traumatizing than a slap on the butt. For example; I am sitting at a coffee shop as I write this. There is a gorgeous girl that works here and I like their coffee, but I digress. A couple tables away sits two women (roughly 35-45 years old) and two children (one is a freshman in high school - I eavesdropped - and the other is about six years old). The younger of the children has a colored pencil he found on the floor, and is drawing on the back of a flyer. The mother of the two children, who, simply put, looks like an uber bitch, is talking to the other lady, who seems relatively disinterested.

The mother takes a break - long enough for me to take a drink of my coffee - and the little child gently taps her on the shoulder and says in complete innocence, "M-mommy, can I have some water? I'm thirsty." This nappy-haired bitch removed his hand from her shoulder and began flinging her pointer finger in this child's face saying: "You don't need to interrupt me. I am sick and tired of you thinking what you need to say is more important than what I have to say." I would have ended the conversation here, but she didn't. "You are very rude and are being very inconsiderate of me and [insert other lady's name] and I DON'T appreciate it one bit. And look at this! You are wasting paper. If you are going to color, you need to use the entire sheet of paper. Don't waste paper. That kills trees. Do you want to kill trees?"

The child didn't answer, and with good merit. He was about to ball his eyes out. I would have cried if she was my mother. That, to me, is much worse a punishment than taking a swatting on the behind. At least that sting fades after a few minutes. Those harsh words will resurface 15 years from now when he decides to use his bitch-mother's head as a Christmas tree ornament. And I will applaud him.