[unclear: Corporal] Punishment Defended

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.