Corporal punishment: many critics but no solution

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I see that Mr Nelson, a human-rights activist, is very active on the rights of the children by continuously advocating for corporal punishment to be disbanded from our society, especially in schools.

Let's look at some facts:

From a spiritual perspective, if we do wrong we are punished by God, according to the teachings I have grown up hearing. It is even taught, and believed, by the larger portion of the Jamaican population that wrongdoers are going to hell, which is the ultimate punishment.

Now we have prisons, jails, detention centres and other guarded facilities with the sole purpose of confining people to a very small, controlled space. Do you know what that can do to people, Mr. Nelson? Well, if you do, I expect to see your next masterpiece vehemently calling for the abolition of all prisons and detention centres. After all, children cannot be the only ones not to be punished.

I know some will probably say that being in prison, by itself, is not corporal punishment. Well, that may be true, but what qualifies us to determine what punishment is best, if we are not the ones to be punished?

Punishment is punishment and only he who is being punished can fully know the severity of whatever method is used.

In the end, corporal punishment and abuse are not the same thing and it would seem as though some advocates are trying to put both in the same small basket.

Devion Lindsay

Clarendonlindsaydevion@ gmail.com