We haven’t heard the last of corporal punishment as a 21st century form of school discipline. Certainly not since it was upheld recently by the Hillsborough County School Board.
But here’s why a form of punishment that is as enlightened as putting people in the pillory is still with us: Some students — and it’s euphemistic to call them “brats” — need a good throttling, let alone a spanking or paddling.
But here’s why we shouldn’t permit it:
*It doesn’t work on those who warrant it most. Those already inured to violence aren’t exactly intimidated by the prospect of paddling. If they learn any lesson, it’s to even the score somehow.
*The ones who might find the experience behavior-altering are probably the ones with ACLU parents