The Role of Public Schools in the NFL Scandal
The NFL is in a tight spot right now. They don’t want to lose their talent and the dollars that might come with a championship. But they are in danger of losing their image. Domestic and child abuse are ugly topics, when they surface. They provoke intense emotions. It’s been difficult to watch the different reactions. There have been many tough, but critical, debates surrounding these incidents.
What has been especially troubling to me has been the difference in beliefs, on the part of some, towards Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson. As a society, we pretty much despise domestic abuse, of course, but corporal punishment, not so much. Children, however, cannot usually run. They are stuck in situations that leave them open to abuse that could endanger their lives. Some like Boomer Esiason and Cris Carter have spoken out passionately on this.
NBA Hall of Famer and Turner sports analyst Charles Barkley demonstrated the different thinking between domestic and child abuse that I am referring to. I disagree with him, but I respect his honesty. He was glad to see the issue of domestic abuse discussed, but as far as hitting children: it’s a black Southern thing. That is the way many parents feel. Leave the way I discipline my kids alone.
In the meantime, America’s public schools are silent. They should be offering advice to the NFL about different methods of discipline relating to children that are more appropriate than hitting. But they can’t, because many of them think hitting kids is fine. Many schools in this country resort to corporal punishment.
In fact, America is one of the only countries left in the world whose schools still make it a practice to hit kids. Don’t look at charter schools to display good disciplinary guidance either. Many are proud of their chain gang strictness.
How do you discipline? Are you one of the 81% who spank? Or the 19% who say it is not alright? If you aren’t going to spank what do you do to help your child learn how to The Role of Public Schools in the NFL Scandal:
