Steve Wiegand: Spanking bill merits a big hand

Sacramento Bee ^ | 1/25/7 | Steve Wiegand

[SmithL]

A resolution of support for Assemblywoman Sally Lieber's bill to ban spanking, from the Organization of Oafish Parents (OOPS):

Whereas Assemblywoman Sally Lieber is a Democrat who represents much of Silicon Valley, and who is only the third woman since 1849 to serve as speaker pro tempore; and

Whereas she is in her last term as an Assembly member, unless of course legislators persuade voters to get rid of term limits; and

...Whereas notwithstanding the existence of current laws against child abuse, Lieber has proposed a new state law that would prohibit parents from whacking, smacking, spanking or forcefully impacting children under the age of 4; and

Whereas Lieber has further proposed that those convicted of the aforementioned offense be subjected to penalties that could include a fine of up to $1,000, a jail term of up to one year or maybe a stern talking-to from a grumpy judge; and

...Whereas Lieber acknowledges that she has never had children of her own but defends her credentials to carry such legislation on the grounds that lawmakers often carry bills on topics about which they know little or nothing; and

Whereas Lieber's proposal has already filled the Legislature's 2007 quota for at least one bill per session that sounds, looks and feels superfluous and goofy and draws "only-in-squirrelly-California" attention from chirpy morning TV talk shows and denunciations from knuckle- dragging radio talk show hosts; and

...Whereas two subsequent reviews of the Swedish law found that the country's child-abuse rate actually went up after the spanking ban, to levels higher than those in the United States; and

...Be it resolved by the members of OOPS to support Assemblywoman Lieber's valiant struggles against the snide and skeptical, and work tirelessly for ultimate approval of "Spank a Kid; Go to Jail."

[SmithL]

This is only an excerpt, but the whole piece is a fun read.

[TruthConquers]

BTTT!

[proxy_user]

"...whereas Lieber acknowledges that she has never had children of her own but defends her credentials to carry such legislation on the grounds that lawmakers often carry bills on topics about which they know little or nothing....


M'yes, that does seem to happen from time to time....

[GoldCountryRedneck]

Lieber .. defends her credentials to carry such legislation on the grounds that lawmakers often carry bills on topics about which they know little or nothing

"I don't know anything about this bill, but it feels good."

What a moron.

[the_devils_advocate_666]

I'm thinking that the government should take children at birth and raise them as they see fit. And I don't think it would be too much to ask to allow the parents some form of visitation rights. /s

[LexBaird]

I heard this lame legislator on the radio. She was incredibly vague on what the anticipated impact of her feel-good law would actually be. It was all "I don't know" and "I would hope judges would use common sense in applying it" and "those penalties would only happen if there were repeated incidents". Then she would try to justify it with some child abuse horror story, as if that were not illegal already.

[technomage]

Whereas Lieber acknowledges that she has never had children of her own

Well, according to liberal logic, she has no right to even an opinion on disciplining children if she has no children of her own.

After all, it is the liberals, the Dims, who tell us that if you have not served in the military, you cannot have an opinion on military operations.

[Frank_2001]

"I would hope judges would use common sense in applying it"

That would be a triumph of hope over experience;)

[massgopguy]

"Forcefully impacting"? Hmm, like picking them up and leaving the Super Market when they throw a tantrum?

[maxwellp]

Is this not the way children are raised in Castro's Cuba? What we have here is dumb, socialist woman.