Anse:

My feelings on spanking come down to this: None of you--NOT ONE OF YOU--could ever convince me that my father didn't love me. Anyone who would call my father abusive cannot possibly know what they are talking about.

Ok, I am certainly not trying to convince you your father didn't love you. But from your own example and what you have stated your father wasn't hitting you with that belt when you were 1 and 2 years old either...or I missed that part. From the article it mentioned specifically corporal punishment of children less than 2 years old.

I'm sorry but that is simply fucked up...no two ways about it. a 1 year old doesn't understand, so please someone explain to me how you are teaching a 1 year old discipline by hitting it? You are teaching it fear...plain and simple. Does anyone really think that 1 year old remembers an admonishment not to do something from an hour ago? 30 minutes ago?

Someone in theother forum talked about beating a 2 year old child because it grabbed a knife to 'teach them a lesson'...what about the damn adults who put a knife where a 2 year old could get it? That's who deserves "discipline".

Yes a 13 year old can understand and process "steal the car, dad will punish you with the belt" a 1 or 2 year old can't.

And yes, there is a difference between any punishment done out of anger and a punishment done because it is what is best and because consequences are a part of discipline..be that physical discipline, natural consequences, loss of priviledges, etc..