"Curse Him!" to Obama: Boy Beaten in US School 40 Times

Run time: 08:24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0o650Qw3Vk   Posted on YouTube: December 30, 2010 By YouTube Member: paulaflowe Views on YouTube: 11   Posted on DU: December 31, 2010 By DU Member: stopschoolpaddling Views on DU: 3830

 
The three beautiful little children in this video are mine. Just makes me so proud to have children who are willing to "tell it like it is." Thank you Christian age 9, Annika age 8, and Nicki age 7.
Read about us at
http://stopschoolpaddling.blogspot.com/

for the local school board. It is an obvious exaggeration to be spanked 40 times in one day and these children seem coached. The story of the paddlings could have been a rouse to get the new kid. This is silly and not a matter for the President of the United States.

Perhaps I missed the intention of the OP....if so thank you for the correction

of the arena where it should be solved. If this child has been traumatized by another child's story then investigation into the story, then consultation with the staff, then the school board, then a personal lawyer, then the press, then the local community, then your local law makers should be taken.Bringing in the President of the US at this point is foolish and that is why I disagree with this video and thread. Honestly, there are predator drones out there, etc.!

The youngest "Nicki" was shown a paddle during his first week of Kindergarten and suffered negative effects just from that. Christian is talking about his first day at the second school we tried in the area. As I was settling him in to his new class a boy told him just what he says "that he better be good or he will be paddled by the principal and "she hits really hard! I know, I got it 40 times LAST YEAR." Not in one day. And that is exactly what he said, there was no rousing to it. The poor kid was trying to be friendly and make conversation. I KNOW! I was there and I HEARD THE WHOLE THING.

what you say the kids said was pretty clear..others must have mis-heard them.

Congratulations for having politically aware kids at such a young age !!:hi:

I am concerned when I see adults minimize or denigrate efforts to address the unnecessary and deleterious, yet vociferously defended physical assaults on our children. Gelles, Straus and Steinmetz contend there are serious unintended consequences when physical violence is used against children:

1) Children learn to associate love with violence, since those who love them are allowed to hit them.

2) Children learn that when something is really important, it justifies the use of physical violence.

3) Recurrent incidences of physical punishment become a fundamental part of a child's personality and world view, readily generalized to adult intimate relationships, or considered a normative, justifiable response when the now adult individual feels threatened or angry.

After more than twenty-five years of advocacy for survivors of relationship violence, I can assure you that spanking our children perpetuates a poisonous pedagogy that saddles a significant portion of our population with trust issues, poor conflict resolution skills, marginal interpersonal skills and aggression issues. Relationship violence is still an ubiquitous problem globally, and most of our teens think that their intimate partners are justified in slapping them if they've done or said something 'wrong.'

Therefore, any attempts to engage Obama or other world leaders in a structured, sincere, and relentless effort to eradicate such damaging 'parenting' strategies is a good thing. Some of us might even perceive it as a dire necessity.

For more information, read anything by Alice Miller (Thou Shalt not be Aware, For your own Good, and The Drama of the Gifted Child, are three excellent choices), and read Magical Child by Joseph Chilton Pearce.

But, please, whatever else you do, stop characterizing this issue as 'silly.'

Oh, and, consider this: children are the ONLY members of our species that you can strike with impunity. If you dare to hit another adult--and are caught--you are sure to face some serious consequences.

I shall take this a step further, "If you dare to hit another adult...", there is an excellent possibility that the striker will get his ass kicked, which may well be "deserved".

That is my reason for my response. It should first be investigated. It is not stated that any validation or even further inquiry was taken other than another child telling a new student that he had been spanked 40 times. 40 times and no one else new and reported? This seems like an over reaction to a perceived threat. If there is more to the story, then I agree the reactions should be in equal measure. Bringing in the POTUS is really out of reason.

I grew up in northwest Arkansas, and 'spankings' were the preferred means of 'disciplining' unruly students. I know, too, that they were unjustly administered, because when I got in trouble with a group of my peers (for being late to science class after lunch), they each got two or more swats with full vigor, and I (the last child standing in the principal's office) got one anemic swat on my butt that barely registered. You see, I was the 'golden child' with the stellar GPA who 'never got in trouble,' or--to be completely honest--rarely got caught doing anything 'punishable.'

Now, despite presenting my 'personal' history enumerated hereinabove, I've spent decades accumulating and perusing substantive and defensible research on relationship violence. There exists ample, rigorous data to substantiate a link between physical violence against children and all forms of relationship violence among adults.

That being said, the authors of this post might have strengthened it by referencing some of the data available, but their point remains valid in spite of that oversight.

As far as bringing in the POTUS: I stand by my assertion that Mr. Obama--by virtue of his choosing Arne Duncan as SecEd, and his continued support of the heinous NCLB legislation (renamed RTTT, and still a vile piece of crap that the vast majority of educators excoriate)--should be encouraged to spearhead an initiative to end corporal punishment in schools. After all, he's already on the bandwagon about ending anti-gay bullying. How difficult would it be to look at the bigger picture, and address this poisonous pedagogy which IS the basic underpinning of all forms of bullying?

Also, the fact the little Nikki says something to the effect that Obama won't sign the bill. The bill he is referring to is HR5628, which is still sitting in Congress (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:HR05628:@@@L&summ2=m&), of which Obama has no control. Also, clearly the OP does not like Obama (see her post further down the thread).

Not once in this video does anyone say that a child was spanked 40 times in one day.

Stopping this principal is not the job of the President, at all.

How is this any of Obama's problem? These people would probably be screaming states right if Obama tried to intervene.
Next story

How is then that "our" school board refuses to even allow this issue to be on the agenda? Go to the state and they will send you back to the board and round and round we go. If the states won't end a practice that's been "proven" to be child abuse who cares how loud they scream? I'd rather listen to that then the sounds of children being beaten by sadistic unstable educators!

If the states say to leave it to the school board and "your" school board refuses to put it on the agenda, why don't you hold them accountable? Yes, I get it, you know that it is their responsibility to deal with matters like this, but that won't get national attention like your three little undisciplined monsters who spend their time talking about how bad Obama is because he won't do the job that the schoolboard has the responsibility of doing. Sure, instead of fighting your own battles, teach your kids to hate the president for something that he is not responsible to solve.

Get your three kids on national television to talk bad about Obama. That will be so great and you can certainly have a bunch of people pile on, I am sure. It is not his responsibility, and you know that, but it will help you achieve your purpose by making him look bad.

But that was following the Republican party doing an all out effort to make him look bad no matter what he did....I can list them all, but I am sure you know. Obama made more than his fair share of mistakes too.... but this does not give people the right to pile on and blame him for everything and anything. That is what you are doing, just to help your purpose and you should be ashamed of yourself for doing so. It is disgustingly self serving and dragging your kids into this makes it even worse.

The only undisciplined monster here is you.

It's true my children know more than most about what goes on in their country and why.

You try explaining why Bill HR5628 died because there are "not enough" people in your country, including your president, who care whether or not children are being beaten and threatened with beatings at school.

My children all watched Obama on Education Nation after knowing that me and many other volunteers furiously submitted our question about corporal punishment in schools for close to 20 hours and he never addressed it. What he did say was that he was thinking of LENGTHENING the school year when he should be shortening it and addressing the real problems.

I tell my children the truth. They know that politicians are only in place to create the illusion that America is a democracy. It is not.

They also know that a substantial part of their population will continue to be beaten in schools and that their country and it's leaders actually support it. It needs the damaged minds and bodies to join the military so that it can continue to amuse itself with going to war and killing people.

The president is as responsible as anyone else in this country including you.

I would not teach them to respect anyone who turns away and allows this to continue.

I call that healthy.

"...but that won't get national attention like your three little undisciplined monsters" -- TheEuclideanOne. That's amazingly rude and uncalled for.

Believe it or not, the President is widely influential and should be able to say or affect change in anything he considers important. If enough people called attention to this issue on a national level, perhaps it would pressure the local level to change. This is sometimes the only way to address such a widespread, heavily institutionalized practice.

And, you are so missing the point.

From their website:



The website has a lot more information. It's a call to end this kind of violence and to support HR 5628, "Ending Corporal Punishment in US Schools Act". More info at the link above.

but doesn't offer any evidence to back up it's claims.

"20 US states and its territories allow teachers to beat the children in their care. The primary targets are Black boys, black girls, Latinos, Native Americans, white low-income students, those having autism, cognitive delays and physical disabilities and students who are “openly” gay."

What do they base this claim on? It certainly isn't backed up by any evidence.

That is what is wrong with the video and their site. Their goals are admirable, the methods they use to achieve them are not.

list the State where I live, so I searched my State's laws. I found no evidence or law that specifically allows a teacher, or anyone for that matter, to beat a child. In fact, I found, to the contrary, and as to be expected, laws prohibiting ANYONE from harming or beating a child when it causes injury or mental distress. That means, teachers included. So, if a child is being paddled by a teacher or any school employee, no matter what the School Board says, it is illegal. The School Board is NOT a lawmaker. As for the targets of beatings being minority or poor students, I agree that there is no substantial evidence that this is the case.

If the site wants to be taken seriously, they should back up their statements with facts. It doesn't help a cause when you come across looking like you don't know what you are talking about, especially when you use a YouTube ad for a reality TV show depicting a student being paddled by a Principal! Yikes!

everything seems to have to be about the President,even local shit that people never asked a President to become so involved in,this is how the media contiually gets us off track on the big things because,they pick up stories similiar to this and blow them up,.

The only thing it takes is for some reporter to get whiff of a story and then they try to blow it up so we spend time on it for weeks.

I suppose now we will need to hear the President make a statement about corporal punishment in schools,what in the hell are the Governor and other state officials elected for?

Only the ignorant and/or just plain stupid support beating children.

"The US was the only UN member that refused to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It also has the highest incarceration rate in the world and embarrassingly low test scores. Whereas countries like Finland rate very high in academic achievement and low in crime. There is really no evidence to support the position that child bottom-battering instills virtue." PhDeverit

Sorry, but they just seemed like they were coached, and the woman egged them on to say what she wanted.

Some parent leaned hard on a MH professional to get that PTSD diagnosis.

While I don't want kids being paddled in school, this video is too obvious an exaggerated bit of propaganda. I went to school in the days when paddling was mainstream, and I caught a lick or two myself, and there was no atmosphere of terror like these kids describe.

Last year 925 enrolled students, 584 "reported" cases of corporal punishment.

Year before that same amount of students, 250 "reported" cases but a report I requested from the superintendent showed 661.

I have a paddle in my house right now that you can see in a picture on my website. A boy who attended our local high school was
given it two years ago upon graduation by the staff of the school because it was USED ON HIM SO MANY TIMES THEY THOUGHT IT ONLY FITTING THAT
HE SHOULD HAVE IT!

The children did not have to be coached.

You can go to the staff, school board, Arkansas Dept. of Education, try to get an attorney to take it pro-bono, local law enforcement will
laugh at you, and the media will tell you it's legal.

I'm not so sure you turned out okay anyway.

I sure hope you never have to get woken up by the terrified screams of your 5 year old!

in a school district that permitted child abuse then I think he'd be one of those kids who would have been so petrified he'd refuse to go to school.

Blows me away that people on this forum actually condone child abuse.

where I grew up, was just as bad.

BTW, I've noticed members of the "I got spanked when I was a kid, and I'm alright" crowd, trying to rain on your parade. I encourage you to keep up the good work. Our children deserve our advocacy, and they desperately need it in these perilous times.


(edited for punctuation...)

After watching this video, I am now in support of beating children. I wasn't before.

Of course they were coached. Obviously, the kids don't hang out in the sand box or on the swing talking about Obama and the schoolboard when they are off camera.

I also went to school where paddling was a normal part of discipline. It didn't happen on a daily basis, but I also got paddled a few times and it was one hell of a deterrent. And no, I am not serial killer or wife beater as a result. I am in support of ending the ability of teachers to paddle student, at the same time I think that maybe it is being blown a bit out of proportion, IMHO.

Perhaps, you could do a wee bit of research. Read Alice Miller, or Joseph Chilton Pearce. Find out more. You might not be so quick to judge.

I was also paddled several times in 1st grade and when I recall that period in my life I distinctly remember those feelings of insecurity, confusion, and sadness. (A boy was bullying me on the playground -- chasing me around and calling me names. In defense, I turned around and pushed him, just to get him away from me. That was the one offense I was paddled over 5 times for.) These are not happy memories of school. I cannot believe this practice is still on the books!

You're criticizing the presentation over the message. If you really do think hitting kids is wrong, maybe that message is more important. Did you learn anything new or is this old hat to you?

Honestly, I thought this crap about corporal punishment was gone. Who the fuck do these "educators" think they are? Obviously completely incompetent and just more human waste screwing up the next generation. Who the hell hits kids as a way to "teach them a lesson" anymore except psychotic imbeciles!

This video is a very bold move, especially if it's as entrenched in the system as it sounds. Here's a quote from the website:



Now watch the entrenched power base try to defend it, call the situation "blown out of proportion" and speak only of "isolated instances". Yea, right. Sick assholes.

America has a problem with violence and this is one way it is perpetuated from generation to generation. Good on them to stand up against it.

Furthermore, maybe the naysayers whose panties are in a wad about Obama getting unjustly blamed for something might consider that Obama appointed Arne Duncan our SecEd, AND he has been complicit in the privatization of public education--another of Uncle Miltie's grandiose schemes to insure that the uber wealthy get uber wealthier, with no regard for the millions of us who must endure no health care, and other catastrophic economic hardships.

Let's not forget that Obama has asserted that we teachers are not on board with Arne and RTTT, because 'we're resistant to change.' What a load of horse hooey!

Based solely upon his behavior to date, I'd say it's highly unlikely that Mr. Obama will focus his attention on our children, and work to insure that they receive an exemplary education in a safe and supportive environment. Still, I appreciate any and all efforts to nudge him in that direction.

Going to school without being beat.... I support the notion that there is a better way to educate.

We just spent all the money we have on plane tickets out of Arkansas. I once said I would rather be homeless then send my children to this school but I changed my mind because I did not have all my children with me. This time I do. We may be homeless for a time, hopefully not too long. We leave on January 6th for Albany, New York. We are interested in the "free school" there. My children should not have to be educated by violent people and I should not have to home-school nor do I want to. Single mothers like me need their children to be in school so they can go to work. We will take our chances.

Thank you. They are beautiful.

Run time: 08:24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0o650Qw3Vk   Posted on YouTube: December 30, 2010 By YouTube Member: paulaflowe Views on YouTube: 11   Posted on DU: December 31, 2010 By DU Member: AsahinaKimi Views on DU: 3830

 

 How is it the videos seem to embed into this duplicate? I
don't understand it.

violence is NOT the freaking answer to anything.

I was caned many times at school and I really resent it now..that strangers got to beat me when my own parents never punished me physically.

What 7 or 8 year old kid says, "Curse him?"

I don't agree with paddling but I also don't agree with putting words in kids mouths to make a political statement. And using President Obama's name in the title to get more hits is just sad.

Nobody told him to say that, believe me, I could not have come up with something like that if I tried. Amazing, I don't think I ever heard him use those words about anyone else ever before either. I know I have never used those words.

Like so many adults, you denigrate our children, who are vital, erudite and quite capable of amazing thoughts and astonishing utterances. Your agism is showing, AND you are not being helpful. Vomiting your naysaying on this post may be ego-gratifying, but you bring nothing of merit to the discussion.

was something only the right wing did. The kids were obviously being coached. The real issue of the need to ban corporeal punishment became secondary to the staging. On the upside: Family values right wingers love to apply the rod to children. Associating that pastime with the President would surely confuse and disturb their tiny brains.

Jesus said "suffer little children come unto me"...He did not say "let little children come to me for me to beat them so they suffer".

Any of you who agree with paddling children at school are probably sociopathic pedophiles.

I certainly don't condone spanking of children from anyone, including parents. I was hit and spanked a lot by my father and mother when I was a child, but I don't believe in spanking, and never spanked my son because, although I remember the specific details of many of the spankings I received, I have not once been able to remember the infraction that warranted my spankings. I just remember feeling helpless against an adult who was administering pain. I am also not saying that the paddling of children by teachers does not exist.

I personally am questioning the OP's motives, and I think that's what some posters here are saying. What does Obama have to do with this? Why does Obama's name appear immediately in the heading? Whenever there is a subject about doing the right thing, people have a tendency to jump on the band-wagon, no questions asked. That's how people get duped. I have a lot of questions about this video and the fact the the OP says she has transferred her children from school to school. Something just doesn't smell right here and further investigation might be in order, that's all. It's not the padding of children people are condoning, it's questioning the motive of the OP immediately using Obama's name. One has to be careful not to adopt the Fox News viewer mentality.

The link to the YouTube video of the high school girl being paddled just doesn't cut it when it is from a reality TV show. WTF? It's reality TV and if you believe what went on in that video is real, then you ARE easily duped.

In case, you didn't click into the blog spot any further, here's a link to the high school girl paddling which appeared on the November 29 blog page (scroll down further on the page to the next blog post): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD0EfM5f3io&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYOeQsLszvU

Our school handbook defines bullying as "any written, verbal, or physical act intended to cause fear and distress on one or more people."

Why doesn't he address why the educators at our school bully everyday?

Who can tell me that hitting children or threatening them with a wooden board does not cause distress or fear?

How many children have killed themselves or gone on to lead unproductive lives from being bullied by their educators?

If he wants to talk about bullying then let's talk about bullying but he shouldn't act like he doesn't know what's going on.

Seriously, should someone incapable of addressing the "entire" truth about bullying be running a whole country?

Frightening, if you ask me.

If he doesn't want to be called on his hypocritical stance on bullying then maybe he should keep his mouth shut about the whole issue!

and the video is about bullying gays because there had been a recent incident of a boy who was gay committing suicide. Why does that mean to you that he doesn't want to talk about school paddling? You're making an assumption. Especially when you make a statement that he should "keep his mouth shut about the whole issue". Really? Your credibility is going downhill very fast.

of bullying at it's root and that way we can protect "all" children including more gay children from being bullied.

Educators in paddling states promote bullying at every level. Everyone keeps saying it's not Obama's problem.

Well, if it's not his problem then why is he talking about. Clearly, even he feels he should address it.

He had the choice of speaking out in support of Bill HR5628 and choose not to. Maybe it's not his problem, though personally

I don't see how you can be a leader of a country and not care about the well being of it's most vulnerable citizens, but he

could have helped and he didn't. So I agree with my son.

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For the kids to say 'Curse Obama' is a bunch of BS.
President Obama does not want kids to be hit.
I am sick of all of the Obama bashing.
Obama is not God and he is also not a dictator.
The president of the United States of America can not be all things to all people all at the same time.
If you want to lay blame on someone put it at the feet of the school districts and at the feet of the folks that are doing the paddling.

I thought we were supposed to be talking about kids being beaten in school, not talking about Obama bashing. God, some of you are SO dense you bend light.

Hell, if anything, make a video like this go viral--maybe we can finally drum up enough national dialogue and attention that we can get corporal punishment banned for good.

for them to stop beating children.

A boy and his father delivered wood to our house today. The boy had graduated last year.

"Were you ever paddled in school?" I asked.

His answer "Yes".

It's not a last resort or an isolated occurrence as they would have you believe. (not that I would approve)

Up here, it is all of them.