You won’t mind if I point out your generalisation and exaggeration or is it that you’re having difficulty with the English language? If you are more specific with your facts I might be more conducive to listening.
I was mostly addressing this... "He had a chair which he’d have you get on your knees, bend over the seat, put your head through the rungs of the back, then he would take off his belt and let you have it a few times." Sounds like he enjoyed humiliating a child as much as beating them. And for the record, I was strict with my sons and I'd swat them occasionally. But there's a difference in a swat and total dominance/humiliation.
I actually have positive memories of him, strict but fair. He didn’t dish out punishment undeserved, like when the aforementioned farm boy threw a dead skunk under his desk.
Some parents don't like others whupping their kids. I never allowed anyone to whip my kids but me and that was very seldom since they knew I would they seldom pushed it. It's not easy raising kids as stay at home mom or if there are more than one or two, since the 60s most women worked. They didn't have to deal with the little curtain climbers. This nation was not built by men or women explaining to a kid why they wanted something done or why they said no. I can just imagine some lumber jack building his home from DIY lumber, deal with a kid. Or a mother washing clothes, cooking, working in the field and garden 'explain' to a kid. These generations built the greatest nation on earth and now we find out they did it all wrong
I definitely believe that the problem with our broken society is that families are splintered. I was a stay-at-home-mom until my boys were in elementary school. We taught them to respect authority and they did. I was not harsh with my children but I was firm... and I didn't make empty threats; they learned right away that I meant what I said. They were great kids and now they are great adults.
I do respect both kinds of mothers, Both have their place in society of course. And I too worked and would have worked more if I could find a decent sitter.
I believe Silvia merely made a typo, and is not having difficulty with the English language at all. She, herself, is a former teacher. Your comments so far are rather condescending and officious to say the least.
Now people are endeavouring to read my mind. Neither of the above were intended. I was merely making offers of explanation for response as well as a suggestion as to how an argument might be improved without introducing fallacy. Perhaps it’s my directness that is disconcerting. I’m afraid that’s just a feature of my somewhat distorted brain. It has created many intimidating situations in my life. I’m not complaining or looking for empathy, sympathy or making excuses. Just saying. Make of it as you will. I deal with it all day every day. You only have it for as long as you can tolerate it. Yell when you’ve had enough. No it’s not me. It’s just part of me.
Thought bubbles aren’t facts, Ken. For you to assume they are is foolish. Might I suggest you excuse yourself from a conversation you are not part of, especuially when you have nothing to offer in the way of constructionism.
We have to make that effort if we are going to carry on a conversation. We can't simply take your words at face value because you said yourself that you don't tell the truth. That being the case, we have to either try to figure out why you're writing words that may or may not be what you truly mean, or we have to simply ignore what you say.