BEAT that Child!

by Farkel 49 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Bridgette

  P.S. One of the first things that the school official I showed the article to noted was that the children were being "home schooled", so that teachers, and others would not have been able to pick up on the abuse. I told him a high number of witnesses "home school" their children and that abuse is a common theme in children who've grown up as witnesses is abuse.
  They love to keep their kids soooo isolated for a reason. Jeez, the next thing you know, they will be "encouraged" not to seek medical treatment so that healthcare workers can't pick up on the abuse. They already get by with sacrificing their children on the blood issue (although, the state canlegally do pretty much as it sees fit to save a child's life)
• 

  Nathan Natas

  Let us all rise and sing song number 213 - "Whip It" (DEVO)

  crack that whip
  give the past the slip
  step on a crack
  break your momma's back
  when a problem comes along
  you must whip it
  before the cream sits out too long
  you must whip it
  when something's going wrong
  you must whip it
  now whip it
  into shape
  shape it up
  get straight
  go forward
  move ahead
  try to detect it
  it's not too late
  to whip it
  whip it good
  when a good time turns around
  you must whip it
  you will never live it down
  unless you whip it
  no one gets their way
  until they whip it
  i say whip it
  whip it good

  Excellent, that was excellent! I want to thank Sister Boingo for her work on the keyboard, and Brother Chillin for his magnificent drum solo.

  Why don't we conclude now with Brother Michael Jackson's "Beat It"

  They told him don't you ever come around here
  Don't wanna see your face, you better disappear
  The fire's in their eyes and their words are really clear

  So beat it, just beat it

  You better run, you better do what you can
  Don't wanna see no blood, don't be a macho man
  You wanna be tough, better do what you can

  So beat it, but you wanna be bad
  Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
  No one wants to be defeated
  Showin' how funky strong is your fighter
  It doesn't matter who's wrong or right
  Just beat it, beat it
  Just beat it, beat it
  Just beat it, beat it
  Just beat it, beat it

  They're out to get you, better leave while you can
  Don't wanna be a boy, you wanna be a man
  You wanna stay alive, better do what you can

  So beat it, just beat it

  You have to show them that you're really not scared
  You're playin' with your life, this ain't no truth or dare
  They'll kick you, then they beat you,
  Then they'll tell you it's fair
  So beat it, but you wanna be bad

  Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
  No one wants to be defeated
  Showin' how funky strong is your fighter
  It doesn't matter who's wrong or right
  Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
  No one wants to be defeated
  Showin' how funky strong is your fighter
  It doesn't matter who's wrong or right
  Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it

  Beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
  No one wants to be defeated
  Showin' how funky strong is your fighter
  It doesn't matter who's wrong or right

  Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
  No one wants to be defeated
  Showin' how funky strong is your fighter
  It doesn't matter who's wrong or who's right

  Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
  No one wants to be defeated
  Showin' how funky strong is your fighter
  It doesn't matter who's wrong or right

  Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
  No one wants to be defeated
  Showin' how funky strong is your fighter
  It doesn't matter who's wrong or right
  Just beat it, beat it
  Beat it, beat it, beat it
• 

  Latte

  Farkel,

  Thanks for posting those articles. I was so bothered about ‘spanking’ in the K.H that it was def. one of the thing’s that made me leave. I felt physically sick each time a child was taken out for a smack (English term for Spanking) I did my own research on the subject and was horrified at the ‘old’ stuff which they printed…truly gross.

  I have come to the conclusion that the org. is def. stuck in the idea that smacking is the way. Just as they are stuck with the idea that anyone who isn’t an active JW is an ENEMY. (those that have left) Yes, they are stuck in the past.

  I have also concluded that the writers of these articles have probably never had children of their own. So, who are they to offer one word of advice on the important issue of disciplining someone else’s child??????????

  The new ones that come along do observe the ‘take out for a smack’ routine, and often carry on this cycle. I have seen it myself…..sad.

  Latte
• 

  Andee

  Being beaten, and being threatened to being beaten, was a prominent parenting tool with my JW Dad. It wasn't all JW influenced because he came from a poor southern family, that wasn't JW, that subscribed to the "Go pick your own switch off the tree" mentality. His favorite tool, however, was the belt. The purple strap marks that I got on my back and legs as a result of those beatings, was something I was determined my own children would never have to experience.

  Here's sad story.

  When I "worked" I supervised a JW woman. I remember her telling me, with a bit of pride, I might add, how her little granddaughter wouldn't sit still at the meeting the night before. She explained how her son had to take her in the back and give her a good spanking. And how she could hear her sad cries.

  Her granddaughter was 18 months old.

  Andee
• 

  teejay

  Andee,

  Your dad sounds like my mom. She was a single parent with six kids to raise and didn't have time to play games when her rules were disobeyed. Going outside and picking your own switch has GOT to be one of the most horrible tortures ever devised by Southern parents. (That's so cruel it ain't funny.) And you can easily be sentenced five-to-ten for some of the stunts my mamma pulled.

  It's funny, but I don't believe in spanking. One day I may come to regret my current position, but I don't even slap my daughter's hand. I figure if it's illegal to strike hardened criminals in the penitentiary, then it's wrong for grownups to hit little kids with anything, including their hands.

  How a father could beat his child like that man did, even including other children in the proceedings...

  tj
• 

  Farkel

  tj,

  I've never used any sort of corporal punishment for my four children, either. The only exception was that my wife and I agreed it was ok to give a few whacks on the butt for our children but only when they were in diapers. Obviously the whacks never hurt the children and they were only used for shock value. When the diapers came off we used "time outs" or suspension of privileges as punishment, but nothing corporal.

  While I do not consider myself physically abused as a child, my father did two things to me that were definitely abusive. Once he whipped my back with a belt. I was too embarrassed to dress for gym for the next three days until the welts went away. On another occassion he held my hand under running hot water until it blistered. But he never did anything abusive other than that. Considering the horror stories I've heard, I consider myself lucky. Also, I forgave him decades ago for those two incidents.

  Farkel

  "When in doubt, duck!"
• 

  Tatiana

  Teejay, I agree! I was told so often to go get "my own switch"...and if I picked one too small or thin, I'd get it even worse! I remember so well the feelings of total despair and helplessness.

  I read something in a magazine once by someone who was against physical punishment. It stuck in my mind and I always quote it to anyone I see whipping or beating their children...

  "If you assaulted, hit, or punched your neighbor, or someone you met on the street, you'd go to jail for battery. Why can you do this to a child and think it's okay?"

  I saw so much child abuse at our KH, it was ridiculous. My mother often used that saying too. That if my sister and I had lived in Israel, we'd have been stoned to death for disobedience. I always got the feeling she was disappointed we all didn't live back then! But she tried to come as close to it as possible! Once she hit me so hard I saw stars! I thought that only happened in cartoons. Not true!

  But, it's just like the society to deny and distance themselves from the real "truth", when it slaps them in the face!(pun intended!!)

  April

  "Love never dies." Voivodul Vlad Draculea (from Bram Stoker's Dracula-1992)
• 

  safe4kids

  Wow Andee and teejay!!!!

  Here I thought I was in a very small minority of kids who had to go pick their own switches!! My mom had some kind of little cherry tree out back and she'd make us go pick a switch off of it...it had little thorns on it too, as I recall.

  I remember having to go out and pick switches...but I don't remember much beyond that...Tracy, maybe you can help me out here? I don't remember actually getting hit with them, perhaps I've blanked it out or maybe my mom just used it as scare tactics. I do remember my dad lining the four of us for spankings with his belt. He'd ALWAYS say: "You know how some parents say this is gonna hurt me more than it does you? Well, that ain't true!" and then he'd commence to whupping the stew out of us, but no, he didn't use the buckle end either, as I recall.

  Yikes, this makes me feel ill even thinking about it! I spanked my kids for a brief period when they were young and I was still a JW...but it didn't happen often and I finally reached the point where I figured that I could hardly teach my children that it was wrong to strike another person by my striking them! So I switched to time outs, restrictions, etc..and so far, they're pretty decent kids, if I do say so myself! No problems in school or getting along with others, etc. Still can't get 'em to clean their rooms tho...

  Dana

  Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end...
  Closing Time, Semisonic
• 

  think41self

  Yikes Dana,

  Thanks for reminding me of that little bit of trivia from our childhood. As I recall, Mom mostly used that switch thing as a scare tactic. I think she might have swatted at our legs with it once or twice, but yes, luckily...we were never beaten with the switch or belt. I cannot even imagine.

  Do you remember when we had all four been bad, and Mom would say "Wait til your Dad gets home?" and then he'd line us up for the spankings? If you'll recall, I always got in line first cuz I wanted to get mine over with, and you and John were always fighting over who got last in line. It didn't matter where he got in the line, he always got whupped the hardest. But what the hell, he deserved it, right?

  I too spanked my kids when they were younger, I'm talking about a few swats...not an over the knee with a paddle kind of thing. But still, I now wish I hadn't done that. I don't think it's absolutely necessary.

  think41self

  Holy Flying Screaming Buddha, Batman!
• 

  safe4kids

  Tracy,

  Thanks for the reminder...now that I think about it, I do remember getting hit on the legs with the switch but not actual beatings with it. As for what you said about not being beaten with the belt...huh?? Dad always used a belt that I remember! And you never got hit very hard coz you bruised easily..remember??!

  Gee, nothing like reliving the good ol' days!

  Dana