California Democrat wants to ban spanking during 'terrible twos'

Contact: Campaign for Children and Families, 530-405-4095 x 2, media@aabizhelp.com

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 19 /Christian Newswire/ -- Parents who love their children and want to train them to respect authority are rising up against a proposed bill in the California Legislature that would criminalize parents who spank their children during the "terrible twos," even if the spanking was a one-time occurrence or infrequently done.

The proposed legislation, authored by Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, a San Jose Democrat, would prohibit parents from ever spanking their two- and three-year-old children to correct their behavior. Campaign for Children and Families (CCF), a leading pro-family organization based in California, called it the wackiest bill of the year and exactly what to expect from anti-family Democrats.

"This punish-you-if-you-spank-your-children bill is intrusive, unenforceable, and the most blatant violation of parental rights I've ever seen," said CCF President Randy Thomasson. "What's next, jail time for parents who raise their voices at their children? We already have enough legitimate laws prohibiting physical abuse of children, and this proposal is certainly not one of them."

"This nonsensical bill injects the big nose of government into the family home, where it doesn't belong," said Thomasson. "Some parents spank and some parents don't, and that's their right as parents. Government regulation of parents' discipline wipes out the right of parents to raise their own children. This is wrong. God gave children to parents, not to the state."

"Appropriate spanking is not 'beating' or 'abusing' a child, which is a ridiculous and offensive comparison," continued Thomasson. "When appropriate spanking is lovingly administered, it can help a disobedient youngster to become a well-adjusted adult who respects authority. But the lack of parental discipline and a philosophy of permissiveness can produce a rebellious, compulsive teenager. There are untold numbers of Americans who testify that being spanked has made them a better person in life -- I'm one of them."

Top child development experts teach that children under 15 or 18 months old should not be spanked because they don't understand it, but that appropriate spanking of rebellious children between ages 2 and 10 "is the shortest and most effective route to an attitude adjustment."

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CAMPAIGN FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES (CCF) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization representing children and families in California and America.