Bill S-209 proposes to repeal section 43 of the Canadian Criminal Code, which is the section that allows parents and caregivers to use corporal punishment (ie spanking). This bill has very quietly passed through the Senate with little fanfare and needs approval from the House before it will become law.
I feel that this bill does nothing to protect children. Child abuse and beating is a deviant behavior, and already a crime. People who abuse children already know they’re breaking the law, and they don’t care. All this bill will accomplish is criminalizing parents who are caring for their kids and trying to raise them to be good citizens.
In my opinion, the senator who introduced this bill has little credibility. She was defeated in three consecutive elections, and I feel that she has no business in the Canadian government, proposing legislation that will affect the lives of the citizens who voted her out because they did not want her representation.
(Not to mention, she researched this bill by interviewing children, and was pleased to note they agreed with her. Of course they did! Children do not know what is best for them, that’s why they have parents.)
I am appalled that this bill has made it as far as it has, and I hope our MPs have more sense than our senators. The government does not know best when it comes to child-rearing; if they did, then institutions would be utopia.
Whether you spank your own kids or not is up to you. But you must agree that this is a case where the government has gone too far, stepped too deeply into our personal lives, and needs to back off.
-----------------------------------------------------
Letter I sent to the senator who proposed this (and who intends to keep re-introducing it if it is defeated, wasting yet MORE taxpayer dollars)
Senator Hervieux-Payette
hervic@sen.parl.gc.ca
I am sure you are getting many letters regarding this bill, so I will keep my comments brief. I am dismayed by the introduction of this bill and by its quiet passage through the Senate. I only hope our elected members in the House will show more common sense when the bill is brought before them for a vote.
I see nothing in this bill that will protect children in any way. Abuse and beating of children is already a crime; it is a deviant behavior and those who engage in it already know they are breaking the law. This is a completely different matter than that of caring parents who are correcting their children's behavior with the aim of disciplining (training) them to be good citizens and responsible adults. What I do see in this bill is an attempt to control the home life of Canadians, and to strip parents of their right to raise their children as they see fit. What this most reminds me of is the past criminalization of homeschoolers. Thankfully, we seem to have put that era behind us.
I fear for Canada's future if parents continue to be micromanaged and undermined by external forces. It doesn't take long to realize that the current generation has little respect for laws, for other people, or for government. When they in turn start raising children, we will be faced with the consequences of naively embracing "positive parenting." Children are not little adults, they require training and correction. Sometimes it is unpleasant. But a little punishment today is preferable to a life without having learned limits and self-control.
As a mother, I'm sure you meant well bringing this matter before the Senate. Children do need protection from abusers. But I hope that as a mother, you also realize that parents need to have their rights respected, and that sometimes being a parent means not being your child's buddy.
-------------------------------
Government members who have opposed this bill - write to them with your support!
Karen Redman: Redman.K@parl.gc.ca
Daryl Kramp: krampd1@parl.gc.ca
Anne Cools: coolsa@sen.parl.gc.ca
No comments:
Post a Comment