What? No Ann Coulter thread this a.m.? (Page 3)

Jimbo...I will argue some of these points with you for a time. But not on this thread. You seem to be very liberal (in my view) and I seem to be very conservative (in my view). There are going to be many things we disagree about. I'm fine with that. I like certain people, and agree with certain viewpoints, and you will probably not like those people or agree with those viewpoints. I'm okay with that. I still like Coulter for the good and funny things she writes and says. She's still a very intelligent woman, in my opinion. I still don't agree with everything she says or does. I'm okay with that. The reason I was hesitant to specify quotes is partially b/c of how you've responded to what I have posted. They don't offend you. You don't see how I can consider those people as X or Y. And the ever present "Ann's said something mean" argument over and over. I know. She's acidic. I get that. I don't care. =)

If you want to argue some of these other points, feel free to PM me or post a new thread.

I'm okay with parents willfully inflicting pain on their kids for discipline, in a way that doesn't harm them long-term.  I personally wouldn't advocate hitting someone on the head.  Pretty dangerous.  Swatting on the butt?  Fine, to a certain point.  And I doubt he (and I know I) would not agree with this kind of punishment for a very young child. 

Listen, I make my v-ball players who I coach do push ups as a penalty.  They HATE it.  It is painful for them.  But they learn quickly to avoid those mistakes which are punishable by push ups.  It's the same thing, on a different level.   

Finally, regardless of his ideas of spanking etc. I still don't think that's evidence of an "obsession with violence." 

Kiley, I admire your strength in the face of all this opposition. Good on you! I am behind you 100%.

I wonder how different the world would be if all parents substituted push-ups for spanking...

No, it's not the same.

1. Your players can tell you to stuff it and walk away. They can leave the team. They are not powerless in this situation. Children do not have the option of walking away.
2. Doing pushups does not invade their personal space. Children have a right to have their personal boundaries be respected, just as you do.
3. Striking a child is NOT discipline. At best, you can call it punishment, but definitely not discipline. You are only teaching/reinforcing to the child that it is okay to strike someone who is weaker than you are. If you think striking a child is discipline, try striking one of your team players and tell them you're just disciplining them. Let me know how well that goes over.
4. There are 50 ways you can come up with to discipline a child if you just put some thought into it. None of those ways have to include striking a smaller, weaker defenseless person.
5. Saying that being struck as a child never hurt you is hardly supportive of the argument. It did hurt you - it taught you to believe the lie that it's okay to strike weaker people who cannot defend themselves.

Ask my daughter

No, it's not the same.

1. Striking a child is NOT discipline. At best, you can call it punishment, but definitely not discipline. You are only teaching/reinforcing to the child that it is okay to strike someone who is weaker than you are. If you think striking a child is discipline, try striking one of your team players and tell them you're just disciplining them. Let me know how well that goes over.

1. There are 50 ways you can come up with to discipline a child if you just put some thought into it. None of those ways have to include striking a smaller, weaker defenseless person.

Here is Coulter's latest column. I think it is a very interesting read and any open-minded person might learn something about her from reading it.