“Whoever offends one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea.” - Jesus Christ (Scofield Reference Bible, Matthew 18:6) A parent's right to spank their child has long been the subject of much debate. On one side of the debate are those who believe that hitting a child, in any way, automatically constitutes abuse. The opposing camp believes that parents respect their legal and, more importantly, moral rights to discipline their child as they see fit. As one might imagine, the former are regularly presented as being overly humanist and ultra-liberal, while the latter are almost always vilified as right-wing Bible-thumpers and uneducated unbelievers. The main problem, as is so often the case with controversial topics, has been lost along the way. Everyone is caught up in the struggle between right and left and the resulting name-calling, so few people really pay attention to the children themselves. America already has enough laws. What parents need most is education and support, not legislation. Additionally, those without children should mind their own business and stick to topics they have experience with, not just opinions. Having been a child does not give you any insight into how to raise a child. Supporters of banning spanking tend to refer to spanking as corporal punishment. They then classify it among many abusive activities. Psychologist Kerby Alvy explains corporal punishment as: "pinching, pulling ears and hair, shaking, slapping, slapping, spanking, crushing, hitting, kicking, punching, paddling, using switches , hairbrushes, belts and ironing lines, and making children kneel. gravel or ...... middle of paper ...... would be illegal." Child Abuse. Ed. Heidi Williams. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press, 2009. 21-27. Print.Dobson, James. The Strong - Willed Child. Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1978. Print. Gershoff, Elizabeth, et al. “Parental Discipline Practices in an International Sample: Associations with Child Behaviors and Moderation by Perceived Child Development 81.2 (2010). ): 487-502. Academic Search Web. April 23, 2011. Harvard Medical School. Harvard Mental Health Letter (2002). corporal punishment and physical violence.” Child: care, health and development (2009): 286-287. Premier Academic Research. Internet. April 23, 2011. Scofield, CI, ed. Scofield Reference Bible. New and improved. New York: Oxford University Press, 1909. Print.