Oooops!

[Sqad]

http://www.dailymail....-following-riots.html

[ummmm]

Lol......back hander :-)

[Kromovaracun]

"Sorry ummmmm - don't see the connection (or disconnection) with 'we can speak' -- there has been a lot of communication and nothing happens. "

The existence of language as complicated as the ones that humans have developed is a pretty remarkable/unique feature of the human species, it's the source of our ability to innovate, empathise and civilisation generally.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImQrUjlyHUg

I also don't see how your argument that 'the animals do it' works at all. It's also not uncommon among various animal species to allow their young to die if they're too weak. Shall we adopt this practice too? Most animals (though admittedly this seems to vary but I'm pretty sure this applies to pack animals as you're describing) don't appear to have self-consciousness, and therefore don't have individual personalities or awareness to the degree that humans do. [Before AB's resident pet owners leap down my throat - please read what I've written again. I have not said what you think I have said.]

---

Personally, I'm unsurprised but a little disappointed by the finding that the majority of parents are (for the moment at least) in favour of CP. Neither does it surprise me that this has been found shortly after the riots - consider the tidal wave of depressing, stupid, knee-jerk public opinion which those events unleashed. I think we're going to be living with that for a while.

Because everyone is doing it and I want to satisfy my ego, I'll also share my top-of-the-head thoughts on CP.

I was miserable at school. I didn't realise how incredibly unhappy I was until I started looking back on it now in my 20s (having experienced some happiness as a reference point). Had CP been in place, I'm pretty sure I would've been reduced to a gibbering wreck and would likely be a very different person. I don't believe in using personal experience as the sole justification for arguments, but I'll admit that's a big part of what's behind my opposition to it - but there's also the fact that I've never, ever seen any convincing evidence that it actually works. The best anyone ever seems able to come up with is something roughly akin to 'it was better in the good old days', which I have no time for.

I'll also say that I find the infatuation with authority (and sometimes violence) in education policy that some people seem to have quite disturbing.

[ummmm]

Very well said Kromo :-)

[sherrardk]

I don't hit my children and no one else is going to either. I presume that the people who were surveyed are of a 'certain sort' and fully believe it wont affect their children as it is other people's children who need to be disciplined.

As an ex-teacher I find the idea that I could have sent a child for a beating for not behaving disgusting.

[ummmm]

It's premeditated violence.

I can understand people striking out in the heat of the moment....but to plan it....

[ladybirder]

Yea, and for just squeaking your chair on the floor!

[Dolt]

Myself and many of my classmates, when in my primary school were clattered on the head, we also got a lash of the ruler, AH that's probably why I'm all messed up now.

[ummmm]

Wrong...so so wrong.

[ladybirder]

And I stopped going to piano lessons because my tutor whacked me across the knuckles with a baton whenever I made a mistake. I haven't thought about it for years but now I do and I realise the violence was so casual and nobody cared, not even my parents. And I was only ickle.

[ummmm]

My Dad would have, and has done, turned up at the school (not for being caned...for a caretaker swearing at me) They didn't do that again....lol

[ladybirder]

Well my piano lessons were private so he was getting paid for whacking me, well until I refused to go any more he was.

[ummmm]

That's even worse.....my parents would have went nuts if anyone laid their hands on me. And Yes, they did bring me up to show respect and have good manners. One look from my Mum was enough to make me hush my gums.

[shaneystar2]

My Mum used to go up the school and complain ladybirder but got nowhere
Wackford Squeers was still alive and well and belting us even in the sixties .
"School rules "
I remember the no jewellry policy and them taking me in the lav and forcing my christening bracelet off my arm . Yet the headmistress sat there decked out like an advert from Ratners whilst spouting her rules :)
Having said that I did like school and made lifelong friends there .But I liked what I liked .
I didn't need to be forced by violence into doing things I wasn't capable of just because they thought I should live up to certain academic standards .
Some of the teachers seemed to get some perverse pleasure from giving you a clout ( mostly grumpy old men teachers and bitter old sewing teachers )
but some of them were brilliant teachers .

[ladybirder]

It was the 1940s, maybe different then. I'm not sure if I even told my parents what was happening to me to be fair.

[shaneystar2]

I was a bit of a rebel at school .They didn't like it if you questioned things and didn't conform .They just wanted to crush your spirit and by clouting you thought that was all that was needed .
Thank goodness for the younger more forward thinking teachers whom I had far more respect for and much to be grateful for .