Who Knows Best?

Confrontations in politics are at their best and most productive when well-intentioned and reasonable people simply disagree about the best course of action. There can be a fair give-and-take, constructive debate, and a mutually agreeable outcome. That is politics at its best.

While such political battles take place all the time, there are other instances when our view of the world and the people in it--along with how the government relates to them--collides with a differing view to create a clash that makes compromise exceedingly difficult.

One issue that relies heavily on how we view the world is the role of government. As one could easily surmise from past posts, I am of the "limited government" point of view. Though not always, more often than not people should have the freedom to spend their money how they wish, eat what they wish, raise their kids how they wish, worship how they wish, and the like.

With that perspective in mind, I was very disappointed to read that at least one legislator in the great state of California wants to ban spanking. Throughout her argument on the topic, the legislator equates spanking with "beating a child". Obviously, parents should not be allowed to beat their children. Certainly there are parents who blur the line between a spanking and abuse. The problem with banning all spanking in order to curb the actions of these people is that it invades the right of a parent to raise and discipline his/her child in an appropriate way.

In the sake of full disclosure, I have no children. My wife and I have not yet decided whether we will spank our children (if we are blessed to have any). But I don't want the government to take that option away from us.

Simply, this seems a clear invasion of freedom and government intrusion in an area in which it does not belong. Should government protect children from abuse? Absolutely. Is spanking, as properly used, abuse? Hardly. The government should prosecute those who abuse their children. Intelligent parents can choose to use timeouts, or remove privilege, or spank their kids. I'm sure all can be effective. But the job of deciding which will be most effective with each child is the job of the parent, who knows the child, not the government who does not.