Rick Badie / My Opinion

By Peggie

July 27, 2008 11:08 AM | Link to this

I live in Twiggs County and I agree with you. “Paddling” was never the answer. I went to school here and I don’t recall any of my classmates being paddled during the elementary years, but in high school the same individuals were paddled numerous times and it seemed to be a game with most of them. To me, paddling is a sign of this school system regressing instead of moving forward.

By Consequence-Based Upbringing

July 27, 2008 4:55 PM | Link to this

While I agree that spanking is a quick fix, sometimes a quick fix is all that is needed. However, I have to wonder if Mr. Foward remembers how values were/are taught at home. If I showed and disrespect or disobeyed any adult, teacher or otherwise, I was on the fast track to an appointment with the Board of Education on my Seat of Learning at school (if that’s where the offense occurred) this test will be boldedand at home!this test will be bolded. I proudly carried on this tradition with my child and my grandchild. The times do not dictate the mores of society. It’s the other way around.

By "Charles", The Original

July 27, 2008 10:22 PM | Link to this

In my own words, I agree with Alphonsa Foward Jr., the director of New Life Academy of Excellence Inc. Paddling shouldn’t be allowed in American Schools primarily because of integration; integration and paddling are incompatible. If America was comprised of separate but equal schools, paddling would without exception be the choice of each community/school with minimal contest.

Moreover, Alphonsa Foward Jr. stepped out of bounds. He postulates that paddling hasn’t been very efficient in curbing behavior but the times did.

I beg to differ. Paddling was a foundation that the times stood upon. Values were taught in each household. The children were taught respect at home and when necessary enforced/sustained by paddling. And paddling was a conscious/unconscious reminder that children had to respect their teachers in the classroom.

If we had separate but equal schools in the United States, I would welcome a director or school official using corporal punishment on my child and others of like color/mind.

By T

July 28, 2008 8:09 AM | Link to this

Like you Rick, I have bad memories of paddlings.

The thing that bothered me the most was about half of the time I didn’t deserve the punishment. There were, and are still teachers who have favorites that are exempt from punishment in their eyes.

I remember well having to tiptoe around certain teachers who were just itching to paddle my backside.

The one that sticks out in my mind was when I was in 7th grade (1970). I got up during class, walked to the trash can and threw a piece of paper into it from about 5-feet away.

The teacher (who was a 30 year old woman in the middle of a divorce) jumped out of her chair and demanded that I come to the front of the room, screaming, “how dare I throw trash in her room!”

She took a paddle and used both hands to hit me 4-times. She swung the paddle like a baseball bat and hit me on my lower back. I believe the only reason I received this punishment was because she was looking for someone to take her-own pain out on. I really tried not to cry in front of all of my classmates but the pain was just too severe.

The bruises I received were horrendous and I did my best to hide them from my parents. I honestly believe that she could have been arrested for child abuse.

I am not, nor will I ever be in favor of corporal punishment in schools anymore. You do not, nor will you ever know the mental state of the person giving out this kind of punishment to your child …

By Katie

July 28, 2008 8:16 AM | Link to this

Paddle away.. Might change some of the behaviors we see in today’s punks, oops, I mean kids.

By Kate

July 28, 2008 8:53 AM | Link to this

I think some of the kids parents should be spanked. It is their actions at home that cause most of the problems at school.

I actually heard a parent scoff at their “you’re ruining your child’s education” letter because they had accumulated 5 tardies. I know they had a lot more than that by the end of the year. Hey, when your kid is late it is a disruption in the classroom. Add two or three more wandering in whenever parents feel like bringing their kids to school and valuable learning time is lost. These will be the same parents who complain when their kid fails the CRCT.

I tell my kids that their job is to sit there with their mouths shut and their ears open. The teacher can not do her/his job if my kid doesn’t do their job. There are strict consequences at home (non-corporal punishment) if they do not behave in school and my kids know they are not idle threats. If I say, “if you do that, then this will happen” I follow through. I started that when they were little, so they have know for a long time that their actions have consequences. I am not saying they are “angels” but they know the meaning of respect towards adults.

I think too many people just give their kids things/stuff and don’t spend any time teaching them anything. They want to give their kids the life they didn’t have but don’t teach them to appreciate what is given to them. That’s my feeling anyway.

By Jeff Charles

July 28, 2008 8:54 AM | Link to this

I host a website, www.nopaddle.com, about school paddling as physical abuse, sexual abuse, and sexual harassment. I greatly appreciate Rick Badie’s knowledgeable op ed on paddling.

The actual facts are that paddling has always created hidden lifetime spanking fetishes for a sizeable portion of the population of affected students and also staff members. It does no measurable good now and historically never has. For example the top nine prison incarceration states are paddling states and the lowest 12 prison states are all nonpaddling, yet the lie is often repeated that “paddling prevents prison.” Similarly paddling is often said to be “Christian,” yet the actual New Testament does not teach anyone to hit anyone, even a parent to a child.

The hidden truth that very few people in the US know is that paddling was actually invented in US slavery, complete with the paddle holes designed to cause welts that Mr. Badie experienced. It is for this reason alone that 90% of the declining paddling today is carried out in 10 of the 11 former Confederate states, and why African Americans are even now victimized at many times the rates of whites, with “slave mentality” higher acceptance in the black community as well.

Further, the Twiggs news stories of a “return to paddling” seem to be both contrived and largely false, and were perhaps designed to be local propaganda to lie to citizens and up the ante for teens, maybe teen girls in particular, to bend over the desk and be paddled more often this next year for more trivial faults. ABC reported that Twigg’s had only “banned” paddling for two years, perhaps cynically so even then, and BET reported that Twigg’s supposed short experiment never actually ended paddling at all — they continued to paddle but only for “serious offenses” — so apparently now will paddle for more trivial I guess. Beyond the paddling issue, we can only wonder what is the motivation for the local media propaganda release that is so full of falsehoods.

150 Georgia school districts paddle, at least, according to one article, so Twiggs has never quit paddling and is one of 150 GA schools to continue it and perhaps paddle more often with more gusto - not really the news story it presented itself to be. “Child abuse following the slave plantation model of schooling continues and increases at Twiggs” would be the correct actual headline. In order to “bring back the paddle” you have to actually end it first, and hopefully then not cynically and not just for a year or two. 28 states and 106 countries have banned paddling completely, some for many decades, and many of which are doing much better than the US in education, crime, and etc. I personally do not think the US, GA, or Twiggs is any worse or any dumber than the vast majority of school districts in the modern world. It is a matter of whether the staff enjoys paddling, and can get away with it if so, or not. There is no benefit to the people or the child victims of continuing the practice, and is, in fact, a great deal of often hidden lifetime harm for all involved.

Jeff Charles www.nopaddle.com

By H

July 28, 2008 12:44 PM | Link to this

I say go for it. I was spanked growing up and my children do get the whack on the butt for behavior. I don’t abuse my children, they are disciplined. It seems that word is rarely used anymore as I don’t see it being done to some of these out of control children. Mine are no angels but they are learning consquences to their actions.

Have they thought about just the possibilities of being paddled in front of you peers could even be enough to curb behavior. It’s the whole “wait til your dad get home” scare tactic that worked for me growing up. Can’t the paddle pretty much say the same thing? Besides, the parent has to give permission anyway. No permission = no paddling.

If the child is not getting discipline at home or being taught to respect, this will not carry thru to school. Teachers have a hard time enough squeezing material into 160 some days of school…they don’t need to teach values on top of that. If a student mis-behaves or is unruly…send’em to the office. It only takes one time…okay maybe two.

By Cindy

July 28, 2008 1:20 PM | Link to this

The only spanking I ever got in school was during my parents divorce when we had to move to Alabama for a short time. The teacher who remembered not only my dad, but also all of my uncles and aunts, didn’t particularly care for me. And at no fault of my own. I was a good kid.

This is how it played out. We had a spelling test. I’ve always been a pretty good speller. When my paper wasn’t graded 100, I asked the teacher why. She said I’d misspelled the word “were”. I told her I didn’t and I spelled it aloud for her and showed her that it was correct on the paper too, with no eraser marks, where it had been corrected later or anything (cheating). She got increasingly angry with me, and as a 3rd or 4th grader, I didn’t understand what the problem was. Finally, she began hollering at me and demanded I spell it correctly. When I kept repeating w-e-r-e, she finally took a paddle and whipped the palm of my hand.

As the tears streamed out of my eyes and down my little heartbroken face, she wrote the word “where” on a piece of paper and instructed me to write it 100 times.

Her ignorance, inability to figure out the problem, incorrect pronounciation of the word “where”, and the fact that she couldn’t see past my relatives, got me the one corporal punishment event in my school years, that should have never been.

Obviously, I lived through it. But the ability and written consent to whip someone’s butt (or hand) isn’t always the right answer.

By "Charles", The Original

July 28, 2008 2:21 PM | Link to this

Paddling wasn’t an issue in the America until the coming of integration. White parents in the South and elsewhere approved of paddling, but many couldn’t accept the idea of black teachers paddling white children. And during that era, black parents had character too. Many didn’t want white teachers using force on black students.

Consequently, the so-called educated integrationists Negroes were ordered by the powers that be to support the abolishment of corporal punishment in schools accompanied by misleading supporting documentation.

By Jimbo I

July 28, 2008 5:03 PM | Link to this

I should’ve been spanked more, not less.

But these trying times need modern solutions, I say taser the kid and flexcuff them to their desks.

If they get a little Gitmo love I doubt they’ll forget their manners.

By Average White Van

July 28, 2008 5:06 PM | Link to this

Note to “Charles” the original: that’s the biggest bunch of nonsense I’ve ever heard. $50 says you can’t provide one credible piece of evidence to back up your strange comments. No offense intended.

On the other hand, I feel Cindy’s pain. When I was young, both in elementary and “middle” school, some “instructors” were particularly heinous in misusing paddlings/whippings.

I had instructors who: -Whipped my hand multiple times with a large leather belt -Backed up down the hall just to be able to get more momentum and hit you harder -Paddled us for little more than tossing a pebble underhanded during recess, toward trees, not people -Paddled us for being on the wrong page of the textbook -Took great pride in humiliating us in front of the class, or went off of the deep end

Had I known then what I know now, I probably would have beaten of few of them pretty badly when I got older. Unfortunately, if parents (like mine) let the teachers have free reign with paddling, there’s no one there to stopped it when the student is being overpunished and humiliated. To hell with that.

I don’t object to reasonable paddling, but if a kid can be punished effectively in other ways, and it saves them from going through what I did, then maybe that’s ok.

By "Charles", The Original

July 28, 2008 6:53 PM | Link to this

Average white van,

Anything that I post can’t be successfully challenged by anyone. Everything that comes from the point of my pen is based on experience; nothing more or less. When other people comment, ninety-nine percent of the time, they are just theorizing.

Jimbo 1 is almost on target. Although, he doesn’t take into account the scheme that the so-called educated integrationist Negroes have decided to embrace. It’s an evil scheme orchestrated by members of the New World Order and executed by their minions to prevent anything positive in America from occurring. The end result is the destruction of the United States as we know it and the enslavement of white people too.

Now I’ve got to confess, most of the so-called educated integrationist Negroes aren’t smart enough to understand what they have done and are doing to Americans; and especially to the average black American. They are too mesmerized by the money, fame, status, etc. derived from their faithful service.

By Bruce Wilcox

July 28, 2008 9:54 PM | Link to this

“Charles”, The Original, you want a challenge, how about this, I went to a Catholic Grade School in the North, the nuns, sorry to say, were a bunch of sick individuals, boys they beat the crap out of, girls were Angels. Now all that changed in High School, the nuns attacked the girls and the boys were perfect, least according to my sister. Being that you seem an expert sociologist, could you explain this for us?

Now you must be applying a different standard because of Blacks being beaten by teachers, like duh, maybe they felt they were beaten enough. Maybe the schools, like most ignorant people, felt the minute President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Bill everything was equal?

I give you credit, “Charles”, The Original, you blame your sorry life on everyone else, sort of like the nut the shot up the church yesterday, “Oh, they were too Liberal”.

Can you cite one study that backs up your claim, hey the nuns slapped me around, did it make me a better man, let’s see I became a Taoist and left the Catholic Faith, I guess it may have.

Wonder how many times Condi had to be slapped around, Powell… the list goes on, again being the expert you are, can you exlain how this can be so?

By LT5000

July 28, 2008 10:53 PM | Link to this

Too bad the AJC doesn’t hand out beating to moron bloggers like Badie and Woody.

If Badie got a spanking every time he published an error filled insipid op-ed, maybe he would actually write something of actual substance.

Maybe this kid could have used a spanking or two.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/clayton/stories/2008/07/28/claytonmurderarrest.html

Hey Badie, think you could do a ride along with the Norcross police on a Friday or Saturday night before they shut down the Gwinnett section.

Please, publish something worth reading before you get canned

LT5000

By "Charles", The Original

July 28, 2008 11:59 PM | Link to this

Bruce Wilcox,

Don’t toss the baby out with the bathwater. If there are Nuns that are abusive, spend your life working to elevate Nuns in teaching positions that’s balanced enough to apply corporal punishment within reason. That would be a great service to other Catholic boys and girls; and a great Christian service.

Presidents can sign a thousand Civil Rights Bills but it won’t enhance the life of the average black person. The problem of black people is ninety-nine percent internal. So-called educated integrationist black people are not your friends; they are your enemies. They have basically sold your business to other groups for profit. And if you and other Negroes refuse to accept this obvious truth, the condition of the typical black person will continue to degenerate and they will point the finger at the innocent; and teach you to do likewise.

Presently, black people in the United States are volunteer mental slaves. They don’t feed, clothe, shelter, employ, and educate, any of their people; and they tend to think little of this gross neglect. Black people allow other groups, Jews, whites, Asians etc. to service their basic needs. Other groups are not servicing the basic needs of black people without any strings attached. As long as black people support black leaders who allow this exploitation of the masses for their own profit, the average black person will be viewed as excrement by most honest reasonable people.

As for me, my life is not motivated by money. My father has owned a lucrative business since the days of separation/segregation. I often reminisce about going through six cars before graduating from high school. So, as a child, my basic needs were met which enabled me to concentrate on the higher issues of life; God, true freedom, real love, justice, equality, etc. Moreover, through honor and dignity, I’ve managed to lead a respectable life without relying on the resources of my parents. And I’m concerned with the plight of black boys and girls.

When asked to strongly condemn individual black people for the crime and problems in the black community, time after time, I steadfastly refuse. When black people are able to feed, clothe, shelter, educate, and employ etc. their own people, and crime continues to persist, then and only then will I raise my voice in condemnation of individuals in the black community. I am not a hypocrite or a fool!

And if Condi and Colin Powell are not smart enough to build in order to meet the basic needs of black people, then they deserve to be slapped around by responsible people.

A word for white people, The New World Order is working to deliver the masses of white people to the state of the average black person; beware my friends.

By "Charles", The Original

July 29, 2008 12:01 AM | Link to this

Bruce Wilcox,

Don’t toss the baby out with the bathwater. If there are Nuns that are abusive, spend your life working to elevate Nuns in teaching positions that’s balanced enough to apply corporal punishment within reason. That would be a great service to other Catholic boys and girls; and a great Christian service.

Presidents can sign a thousand Civil Rights Bills but it won’t enhance the life of the average black person. The problem of black people is ninety-nine percent internal. So-called educated integrationist black people are not your friends; they are your enemies. They have basically sold your business to other groups for profit. And if you and other Negroes refuse to accept this obvious truth, the condition of the typical black person will continue to degenerate and they will point the finger at the innocent; and teach you to do likewise.

Presently, black people in the United States are volunteer mental slaves. They don’t feed, clothe, shelter, employ, and educate, any of their people; and they tend to think little of this gross neglect. Black people allow other groups, Jews, whites, Asians etc. to service their basic needs. Other groups are not servicing the basic needs of black people without any strings attached. As long as black people support black leaders who allow this exploitation of the masses for their own profit, the average black person will be viewed as excrement by most honest reasonable people.

As for me, my life is not motivated by money. My father has owned a lucrative business since the days of separation/segregation. I often reminisce about going through six cars before graduating from high school. So, as a child, my basic needs were met which enabled me to concentrate on the higher issues of life; God, true freedom, real love, justice, equality, etc. Moreover, through honor and dignity, I’ve managed to lead a respectable life without relying on the resources of my parents. And I’m concerned with the plight of black boys and girls.

When asked to strongly condemn individual black people for the crime and problems in the black community, time after time, I steadfastly refuse. When black people are able to feed, clothe, shelter, educate, and employ etc. their own people, and crime continues to persist, then and only then will I raise my voice in condemnation of individuals in the black community. I am not a hypocrite or a fool!

And if Condi and Colin Powell are not smart enough to build in order to meet the basic needs of black people, then they deserve to be slapped around by responsible people.

A word for white people, The New World Order is working to deliver the masses of white people to the state of the average black person; beware my friends.

By Katie

July 29, 2008 6:31 AM | Link to this

Spanking creates spanking fetishes??? Are you f-ing kidding me?? That’s the most ignorant, foolish, stupid thing I’ve heard in at least a year.

By David Merenda

July 29, 2008 11:25 AM | Link to this

i grew up with school spankings and i got my share, even by the jr high principal, who was the most feared, as he hit the hardest. the women teachers even figured it out, as it was funny when they couldn’t hit hard enough, but after after 30-or 40 reps, it made an impression. not only did it not damage me, it taught me alot about respect, and self control. we seem to have none of that today, if it feels good, do it. likewise if it doesn’t, like, “work”, don’t do it. i spank my kids, and spanked one yesterday! he was already in timeout, and continued to fuss, until i administered the corrective action lesson. after they are aready in timeout, then that is the next step…

By Peggy

July 30, 2008 10:24 AM | Link to this

The Twiggs County Board of Education has earned a failing grade for its decision to return corporal punishment to the classroom. While the rest of the industrialized world is turning away from violent beating of school children, this district has taken a huge step backwards.

There is not a teacher’s college in the state of Georgia, or in fact the United States, that teaches perspective teachers how to strike children in the pelvic region with a wooden board. It is a dangerous and educationally unsound practice. Additionally, the top ten states for incarceration rates are almost identical to the top ten paddling states. Georgia appears on both lists, eighth in the nation for the rate of hitting children, and sixth in the nation for incarceration rates.

It is a sad day for the children in this area when licensed, trained, professional educators align decisions with the actions of child abusers. All abuse begins with hitting that escalates. Teachers should not be in the business of modeling child abuse. Teachers and parents alike should be protesting this decision. When the educated sector of a community chooses violence as a solution for discipline, just what are the uneducated ones doing?

Twigg County should ban the use of corporal punishment and replace its use with research based, educationally sound, 21st century, positive behavioral support. It is the real solution that you are seeking.

Best,

Peggy Dean, RN Member, Board of Directors, Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education www.nospank.net

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