Blog 3567 – 08.11.2025

Spanking

Someone posted the above cartoon on Facebook yesterday and it appealed to me on several levels. I confess some song lyrics by bad Girl Madonna came to mind about “Getting a little spanky.” The attractive blonde teacher in high heels I am sure had nothing to do with causing my mind to wander in that direction- of course it did. That is the only “good” spanking I can think of.

Whether the little boy talking is the class clown or seriously believes that his Pop might be considering giving his teacher a spanking if the grades on his report card do not improve, it brings a chuckle either way.

And then there is the serious matter of correcting children’s behavior. I grew up in a family and culture at large that took very literal the admonition, “Spare the rod and spoil the child. More educated people even in the nineteen-fifties (when I was a boy) lead by Doctor Spock, not to be confused with the Vulcan first officer of the Starship Enterprise, Mister Spock, had already concluded that corporal punishment was not the best way to correct children. Hitting children is wrong and child abuse. Those words about beating children with a rod to correct them were written in a time when parents had the right to kill disobedient children. This is the real meaning behind one of the Ten Commandments that reads, “Honor thy mother and father that thy days may be long upon the earth.” Inspired? Really! My sore butt. Notice how I pulled that punch? You know what I really wanted to say, but since I broached the subject of abusing animals, did you know that the Humane Society came along to protect animals before we thought children needed to be protected from abusive parents and bosses that made them work twelve hours days in factories or fields for little or no pay. Sounds like some adults needed a spanking and not the fun kind.

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David James White