THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 30, 1996 TAG: 9607300004
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 32 lines
This year the General Assembly passed a law allowing children as young as 14 years old to be tried and punished as adults for violent crimes. Recently we watched as an 18-year-old was convicted of a capital murder he commited when he was 16; he received life in prison but could have gotten the death penalty.
Violent juvenile crimes have risen dramatically. Why? I submit that one important answer can be found in ``Discipline or Abuse? Paddling 13-year-old lands man in court'' (MetroNews, July 19).
Ashley Holley Jr. was charged with felony child endangerment for spanking his 13-year-old daughter for her rebellious behavior. I applaud him. Maybe if parents weren't afraid to spank their children, we wouldn't have so much violent crime by children.
A hard, old-fashioned spanking is not child abuse! Our social workers, law-enforcement officials and courts must learn the difference between true child abuse and good parental discipline. The courts have made parents afraid to discipline their children with corporal punishment when it is needed. The kids know it and therefore have no respect for authority. These courts that are saving a child from a well-deserved spanking may be sending the same child to the death chamber in a few years.
Let the parents use the ``rod'' without fear of criminal charges when the situation warrants it. Let's wake up before it's too late!
JAMES P. HERBST
Virginia Beach, July 25, 1996 by CNB