Corporal punishment should not be banned
Published:Saturday | July 24, 2021 | 12:07 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
My condolences to the family of four-year old Nashawn Brown who lost his life, which could be attributed to his stepfather physically abusing him. It’s a very unfortunate situation.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness is a long-time advocate against corporal punishment, so his stance and the timing of his comments are not a surprise. To use this unfortunate situation and other few to argue against corporal punishment is very sad and also political. Banning corporal punishment in the homes and schools still won’t make Jamaica a crime-free society. To call for the ban on corporal punishment is to believe that all parents are wicked and don’t know what they’re doing. Government should leave the issue of corporal punishment up to the parents and guardians of a child.
The prime minister should try to amend the corporal punishment laws instead of repealing them entirely. For example, hitting children on their heads should be a no-no. We’ve seen in American and other first world countries where parents are allowing kids to make dumb decisions like to have their gender changed.
This issue ain’t a political issue because many Labourites and even Comrades still support corporal punishment. I hope Prime Minister Andrew Holness ain’t letting the two- thirds majority get to his head. Most parents love their children, and corporal punishment is mostly used to discipline unruly children. Activists comparing slavery to corporal punishment is just watering the suffering of slavery.
Parents, guardians and educators, if you’re issuing corporal punishment like spanking, please don’t do it when you’re angry, because some aren’t in control and mistakes can happen. When I was a child, I wasn’t a fan of corporal punishment but, the older I grew, the wiser I became. My parents and educators gave corporal punishment, not because they hated me, but because they wanted what’s best for me.
TEDDYLEE GRAY
Ocho Rios, St Ann