Salient. Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 42 No. 20. August 27 1979
Corporal Punishment Defended
[ unclear: Corporal] Punishment Defended
[ unclear: Dear] Sir.
In Salient July 30, Kaye McLaren criticised [ unclear: iris] Conway's defence of the moderate use of [ unclear: poral] punishment. She seems to be one of [ unclear: ese] confused liberals who are always eager to [ unclear: rade] their exaggerated concern so everyone [ unclear: n] see what nice people they are. In doing this [ unclear: ver], she resorts to misrepresenting the [ unclear: uation]. To take just one example, she says the [ unclear: posed] legislation is to prevent the situation [ unclear: here] adults reponsible for the care of children [ unclear: ve] carte blanche to hit them brutally, and as [ unclear: quently] as they wish to." She's implying the [ unclear: esent] law allows this to happen but it doesn't, least by any commonly accepted definition of brutally."
The last paragraph was the most objectionable [ unclear: n] of her letter. She says, "it would do Mr [ unclear: nway] well to remember that the child and [ unclear: fe-beaters] of our society are usually those who [ unclear: ve] been brutally beaten in childhood [ unclear: emselves]." This standard piece of liberal cant dangerous because it would create a climate of [ unclear: leration] if it was widely accepted. The majority [ unclear: n't] accept it but there is a small middle-class [ unclear: ment] in departments like justice and social [ unclear: fare] who seem to. They do their best to courage leniency and thereby help to generate [ unclear: ore] crime which, by a lucky coincidence, [ unclear: arantees] they won't become redundant. The [ unclear: ponsibility] for crime doesn't only rest with the [ unclear: minal] but also with the middle-class liberal [ unclear: no] stands behind him and finds excuses for his [ unclear: haviour].
The main reason for wanting to stop crime [ unclear: ouldn't] be a conviction that in some way it's morally wrong". The reason should be its cost everyone who pays taxes, and that it means [ unclear: u] have to take steps to protect yourself and [ unclear: ur] property which involves inconvenience and [ unclear: pense]. The better off you are the better you [ unclear: n] insulate yourself.
Chris Conway's article was a pleasant change [ unclear: om] the views of the minority represented by [ unclear: dividuals] like McLaren.
Yours etc.
G. Herrington.