Why government schools are banning spanking

I recently became embroiled in a (futile) online discussion about spanking.

Couple it with this recent post from Brutus @ "Who's Your Nanny" entitled "Why Public Schools Must Die", and the result is the following essay.

I would propose that spanking is not being banned in government schools because it is ineffective at achieving behavioral improvements, but rather because it is successful at achieving behavioral improvements for the short term duration of the students’ academic tenure. Consequently, when the student finally leaves the high school, he also leaves behind his fear of the authoritative retributions against him. That is the real problem for the government. Governments need their populations to remain under their subjugation for their entire lifespan, and that is difficult if the human leaves his fear behind with his bad behavior when he comes of age.

However, it is entirely possible to condition that life long fear if you use the appropriate techniques. If spanking is removed from the equation, proactive controls such as random searches of personal property, metal detectors and drug tests can be justified. If spanking is removed completely from the equation, then bad behavior can be dealt with with tasers, pepper spray and padded cells, force commonly used throughout adulthood. Handcuffing a juvenile in front of his peers sends a message about lifelong compliance to “authority” to those peers that is far clearer than a spanking from a single designated authority figure.

The mom that says “wait til your dad gets home” never gets the same behavioral compliance as the dad. Pets, children, humans easily discriminate in their responses to individuals, and a parent is representative of no greater force (except God in homes that teach religion) than himself. Likewise a school principal is a “greatest force”, while a teacher is a representative of the force of the principal.

The police, on the other hand, are a universal omnipresent ‘greatest force’, and contrary to popular belief, government officials are merely representatives of the force of the police. (This is why we had checks and balances in our government system, and serious injunctions against maintaining standing armies).

Replacing spanking with police assault turns the school principal into another government representative of the force of the police.

The discrimination in responses to authorities blurs, and the police state grows.

To those who object to anyone but themselves disciplining their children, I offer you my solution, and the solution of many others, get rid of government schools.