[xJones]

I remember being adjured very strongly, when starting elamentary shcool, "If you get a spanking at school, you'll get a bigger one when you come home." In those, the paddle was used, nobody was hurt but discipline was maintained.

[CyberAnt]

That's right!

And ... only the liberals have made a connection between abuse and discipline.

My dad was a strict disciplinarian - I can remember having company and my mother putting out a dish of candy on the coffee table in front of us (as we always sat with our parents on the couch). As the dish of candy was passed to our guests, they in turn passed it to me - I looked at my dad, and only when he nodded his head in approval did I reach for A PIECE of candy. It would never have occurred to me to take a piece of candy without his approval.

Although I was always the rebel in the family, I adored my dad and followed in his conservative footsteps. My dad always regretted he was too young for WWI, and too old for WWII. He sadly died at 49 of a heart attack in 1953.