Mark, the Read link at the bottom of the post points to the original story.

So Kim isn't supposed to question indieWire's methodology, not because she's wrong, but because...it's indieWire? That's like believing everything the NY Times prints just because it's the NY Times. Hell, if everybody followed THAT philosophy, there'd be no blogosphere. :)

Jay (a.k.a. Kim's husband)

"isn't it true there's no such thing as bad publicity?"

You should ask James Frey that question. :-/

I think a blog like PG is doing is a great start. And debating it in forums like this helps as well. Beyond that, we can also use blogs, newgroups, and sites like this to discuss issues that crop up in our daily lives as parents, and discuss ways to resolve specific conflicts that don't involve resorting to violence.

I know that there will be people who appear they are not even open to the idea of abandoning physical punishment - folks like Debbie and Michael Pearl, or people who believe it's their religious duty not to spare the rod. However, I think it's a mistake to write anybody off. We're all works in progress. No one's views are set in stone, no matter how adamant they may appear at the time. If all of my views were set in stone, I'd still be reading ATLAS SHRUGGED and telling everybody I saw that rational selfishness was the key the the world's ills. :-)

Please understand (and I hope you understand too, PG!) that I'm not trying to attack Panthergirl or anyone else. I have no moral high horse to ride; I've been very vicious and intolerant of other people's viewpoints in the past. But I've grown tired of it. So much of our political and social discourse is poisoned by rhetoric. We should be open to engaging one another on hot topics like this, even when it *appears* everybody is adamant and set in their ways.

Folks, one thing to keep in mind when you talk about "kids running wild" these days: if you're talking about kids who commit crimes, most of these kids are not just spanked - they're *abused*. There's no lack of "discipline" in their houses.

As for children who don't commit crimes running wild because they're not spanked - sorry, I don't buy it. This has more to do with our over-indulgent comsumerist culture, and the collapse of morality in the face of commercialization, then it has to do with spanking. Kids are raised to believe they're entitled to the world, and are not taught core values about selflessness and responsibility. That this value shift happened in our culture at the same time as spanking fell out of favor is coincidental. To blame everythig on a lack of spanking seems overly simplistic.

Susan, I know plenty of unspanked kids who aren't "brats". It all depends on how you raise them. There are so many effective parenting measures OUTSIDE of physical punishment, that there's never any reason to resort to violence.

Margalit, it's funny because of the hysteria that the government whipped up amongst the citizenry. Sure, nuclear holocaust is frightening - but if it happens, what can you do about it? Just like a possible terrorist threat, it's much better to live your life confidently without fear than to be constantly jumping at the site of your own shadow.

"What kind of parents ALLOWS a kid to stay in his room for 15 years???"

You lived there, L. - YOU tell US. :-)

Well, the only reasonable response is to point out that this is only one TV show. There are so many other shows with strong male protagonists - some of them on Disney Channel - that one inept, well-meaning geek is hardly going to emasculate your sons. Heck, my six-year-old boy doesn't even like Kim Possible.

But it was quite the passionate rant nonetheless. :)

I liked the L&U/Homicide crossovers. Of course, it helped that Homicide was the best. Show. Ever.

I repeat:

Best.

Show.

EVER.

Give it up, MD. He's been totally converted to the Dark Side. Your powers do not work here. MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!