THE DAILY BLADE: Does The Nanny (State) Know How To Raise Your Kids Better Than You Do?
The CA State Legislature may soon take up a bill that would make it a misdemeanor for a parent to spank or slap a child younger than age 3, reports The Mercury News (San Jose). If adopted, the state will be the first to explicitly ban a form of discipline that many child psychologists – and parents - believe to be an effective form of discipline when used sparingly and does not escalate to physical abuse.
Opponents of the proposed legislation point out that most spankings occur in the privacy of the home so enforcing the ban would be next to impossible. Others object to the heavy hand of the law being used to punish parents who punish their children.
The bill, sponsored by Assemblywoman Sally Lieber (D-Mountain View) would penalize any form of corporal discipline with up to a year in jail or a fine up to $1,000. She is considering an exemption for first-time offenders, sentencing them to parenting classes instead of to prison. Ten or more European countries already ban spanking; Sweden was the first to outlaw corporal punishment, in 1979.
Lieber – who admits that her parents never slapped any commonsense into her – does not appear to understand the difference between a swat on the behind and criminal child abuse (emphasis, The Stiletto’s): "I think it's pretty hard to argue you need to beat a child 3 years old or younger. Is it OK to whip a 1-year-old or a 6-month-old or a newborn?''
The proposed law will not outlaw spanking between consenting adults, which will come as a huge relief to many of her constituents.
Much More Information Than The Stiletto Wanted To Know
† Cell phones harbor more disease-causing pathogens than the bottom of your shoes, according to a study by mobile phone marketer Dial-a-Phone. (The photos of petrie dishes teeming with bacteria are disgusting enough to make The Stiletto consider switching entirely to texting.)
† Hair stylist to the stars Frédéric Fekkai, 48, washes his hair every other day. He avoids shampoos that contain alcohol, preferring instead those containing olive oil, shea butter and other natural ingredients. The Wall Street Journal reports that Fekkai "gently works the shampoo through his hair for 40 seconds, occasionally using the balls of his fingers to gently massage the scalp and activate circulation." He avoids using a blow dryer, unless he must, but even then will only use the "cold" or "warm" temperature settings and makes sure to hold the nozzle five inches away from his head.
† Octogenarian Hugh Hefner tells New York Daily News gossips Rush & Molloy that he's considering becoming a father again with "queen bunny" Holly Madison. After Hefner separated from second wife Kimberley Conrad Hefner in 1998, he reputedly began concurrently dating actress Brande Roderick and twins Sandy and Mandy Bentley, among others. But when Madison became his main squeeze, he "thinned the herd."
On cell phones: Not that I want to gross you out, but your mouth contains more bacteria than there are people in the world...which might explain where some of those mouthpiece germs come from.
Reply to this