THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 4, 1996 TAG: 9608030007
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 25 lines
I am disappointed that no one has suggested that raising children without violence can be part of the answer for our rising crime rate.
``Discipline or Abuse? Paddling 13-year-old lands man in court'' (MetroNews, July 19) brought responses in your letters column defending Ashley Holley's punishment method for his daughter.
I purposely use the word ``punishment'' rather than discipline because ``discipline'' has no words in its definition like spank, hit, whip, punch, slap, beat, etc. Punish, however suggests: to handle roughly; injure; hurt.
Many people spank their children with the best of intentions. But to assume that you're teaching the children to be nonviolent by hitting them, for whatever reason, is a ``Do as I say, don't do as I do'' lesson.
I hope that all parents will consider teaching our next generation about how to handle stress, misbehavior and all of the rocky roads we must all travel - without hitting in the name of discipline.
L. M. CHAPMAN
Virginia Beach, July 30, 1996 by CNB