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Missouri turns back the hands of time: First an abortion ban and now, corporal punishment in schools [1]
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Date: 2022-08-25
According to Johnson, the school board decision to reinstate paddling happened in June. Parents were technically notified then. Letters of permission were sent to parents in the community this week. They can reportedly opt out of this “last resort” punishment for their children. How many parents have opted in for corporal punishment is not yet known.
The “good old days.”
The good news, says Johnson, is that he believes the parents of children attending his schools are as backwards as him. "We've had people actually thank us for it,” he claimed. Maybe they have and maybe they have not. But never fear what you read on the internets because sometimes, beating children is something better done out of the watchful eye of the public. “Surprisingly, those on social media would probably be appalled to hear us say these things but the majority of people that I've run into have been supportive."
Johnson said it will only be administered by a principal, in the presence of a witness and will never be inflicted in the presence of other students.
So, no worries. Your kid will be alone in a room with the principal and some other person who will make sure that child takes their punishment. And after that, they will stop acting out! Problems solved. Also, it will only happen in a once-in-a-while situation. What’s that you say, New York Times?
The Government Accountability Office says the number of American students subjected to corporal punishment is “significantly understated.” The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, which compiles data on the practice, last reported figures from the 2017-2018 school year. That data shows that more than 69,000 were struck at school nationwide. Mississippi had the highest rate, with more than 20,000 students, according to the office, followed by Texas with almost 14,000 and Alabama with over 9,000. In Missouri, nearly 2,500 got the punishment.
Huh. A lot of “last resorts.” I wonder how many last resorts before kids get it through their heads that this is for their benefit? KOLR spoke with Miranda Waltrip, a parent of three in the district, who is appalled that this is happening at all. “I feel like if they had a different outlet like counseling services in school instead of corporal punishment, that would be the more appropriate answer. At the end of the day, they are having to hold the child down and spank them or use whatever means that they can to make the child submissive when that is not the issue, it is the fact that they need to be heard because children act out for varied reasons.”
But counseling services and other programs would cost money, and hitting kids is basically free, and since it has never worked, no harm no foul! Unreal. Waltrip also pointed out that she understands that the small community in which she lives remember being hit and smacked when they were younger and for many, the idea is appealing as a return to “the good old days but it’s not because it’s going to do more harm than good at the end of the day.”
Missouri is the place where Republican officials argue that abortions are the reason for violent crime but hitting children will lead to less … violence.
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[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/8/25/2118773/-Missouri-turns-back-the-hands-of-time-First-an-abortion-ban-and-now-corporal-punishment-in-schools
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