Supporters Petition Archbishop To Keep Corporal Punishment

By Kari DeQuine
Religion News Service

NEW ORLEANS -- More than 500 students, parents and other supporters of St. Augustine High School marched Saturday (March 26) on the offices of Archbishop Gregory Aymond to oppose his call for an end to the school's policy of using corporal punishment.

The archbishop "is trying to fix something that's not broken, and he's going about it in the wrong way," said Jacob Washington, the student body president at the historically black school.

The protesters called on the archbishop to issue a "public, unequivocal retraction ... of all statements linking St. Augustine disciplinary policies with violence, particularly in the New Orleans community."

Protesters also demanded proof of Aymond's claims that parents have complained about the paddling policy, along with evidence for a study he has cited to bolster his position.

The archbishop has said corporal punishment institutionalizes violence, runs counter to Catholic teaching and good educational practice, and violates local archdiocesan school policy.

The Center for Effective Discipline has identified St. Augustine as the lone Catholic school in the country still using corporal punishment.

In a prepared statement, Aymond held his ground and prayed for a "peaceful resolution" to the dispute. "I share their passion for the school and its success; we disagree only on the issue of corporal punishment," Aymond said.

Supporters say the issue is not as much about the wooden paddle as the rights of African-American parents to educate and discipline their children in their own traditions. "It's about the right to self-govern," said Warren Johnson, a 1981 alumnus.

Comments

[truthsabitterpill]

11:43 AM on 03/30/2011

The beatings will continue until moral improves.

[grailknight]

07:07 PM on 03/29/2011

I went to a catholic high school were there was a cleric who used his leather cincture from his habit as corporal punishment, like a bull whip. He always smiled when flaggelating his victim. Quite a sadist.
The movie "Heaven Help Us" has a similar character, and unlike real life, he got a commupance.

[legalhound]

06:41 PM on 03/29/2011

The Archbishop is on the right track here. It is time we got rid of retributive justice and started replacing it with restorative justice. There are much better ways to solve behavioral problems and in using those we teach children to become problem solvers themselves. That does so much more for the world. Teach them to actually be followers of Christ, to work on solving problems without resorting to violence whenever they get frustrated.

[de-meme-ing]

06:19 PM on 03/29/2011

"The archbishop has said corporal punishment institutionalizes violence, runs counter to Catholic teaching and good educational practice, and violates local archdiocesan school policy."


Apophatic Theology, also known as Negative Theology is the idea that God must not be described in the positive, but the negative. Iow's, in apophatic theology, God would not be described as good, but as "not bad". The idea in AT being that when we describe God in the positive, i.e., God is Good, we limit God. "Unlimited", God can be, is free to be, an infinite amount of things, all allegedly good.


"In brief, negative theology is an attempt to achieve unity with the Divine Good through discernment, gaining knowledge of what God is not (apophasis), rather than by describing what God is."

When God is not limited, what can God be? When God can be unlimited God can be any number of things, including things that some would call evil?

Mankind can rationalize himself into the most insane of thoughts, deeds, and all he/she needs is their bible to support and sanction those deeds. Genocide is commited in the name of God. Beating children is sanctioned in the name of God. Slavery was sanctioned in the name of God. Oppression, beating, raping, and murdering women was sanctioned in the name of God.

God is no longer Good, God is hateful, and evil when God is unlimited. When God is unlimited evil can be sanctioned as Good and from God, as retribution.

[juna]

05:44 PM on 03/29/2011

I'm sorry I don't care about your traditions. It is always wrong to hit anyone, especially a child. You might think it does good in the short term: ie, the child is forced to stop whatever he/she was doing. But in the long run in teaches children that violence is the way to accomplish something. Oh, and by the way, it is child abuse.
A word about "traditions" - we see many mutilations inflicted upon helpless women and children of the world but that does not make them right.

[ninetailedfox]

05:40 PM on 03/29/2011

Spankings. Some might consider a light slap on the bottom kinky.

[European1919]

06:00 PM on 03/29/2011

Only when it is administered by a bloke in a dress wearing a tiara.

[de-meme-ing]

06:22 PM on 03/29/2011

In that the topic is about children your remark is not just inappropriate, but crosses the bounds of any common sense of decency. Keep your filth to yourself.

[Laxsmi de Potrero]

05:06 PM on 03/29/2011

it seems rather ironic that followers of he who suggested to turn the other cheek, are in a lather about when it is ok to beat the crap out of someone.

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

05:02 PM on 03/29/2011

All right. Just as long as I get to inflictsome corporalpunishment on the priest whomolests my child, I'm in. Until then, take your pointy hat and go home.

[Andres64]

04:20 PM on 03/29/2011

How many times have I told you not to hit your sister .?

[HGfromOmaha]

12:50 PM on 03/29/2011

Let's see...the good old fashioned African American tradition. Yep. We'll beat you into submission. "The beatings will continue until you love it".

That's what my step-dad believed. Those beatings caused me a whole lot of physical pain but also caused me a whole lot of violence. I didn't know how to respond to stress. My options? Kick ass. Take names later. I got in all kinds of fights. When I first joined the Marine Corps, if I wasn't in a fight every other day, there was something wrong. I was acting out on what I was taught.

Look how well that "discipline" has worked out for New Orleans. Ya know....one of the most violent cities in the country......

[truthsabitterpill]

11:09 AM on 03/29/2011

Parents aren't allowed to strike their children in the name of discipline, why should it be condoned in a classroom? There are plenty of ways to discipline a child without using physical force - just ask my children - they would ask to be hit instead of having to listen to one of my lectures never mind the actual punishment. Hitting a child - using force does nothing to teach a life lesson, other than - the bully rules. Ask an adult to use their brain instead of a stick to get results - well there is the problem, it is much easier to smack someone than come up with a more productive and intellectual way to get your point across. Then again, we are talking about Catholics, aren't we?

[ninetailedfox]

06:59 PM on 03/29/2011

When I was little I was told to stand in the corner. It was very effective punishment, as I was bored in that corner.......

[ThinkCreeps]

04:28 AM on 03/29/2011

Ah.. traditional values.

Raising the profile physical abuse to distract from sexual abuse. Nice PR strategy.

[smokeystover39]

10:58 PM on 03/28/2011

"But Father Fred I thought I was going to be punished for talking in class." "Yes Timmy you're going to get a "lickin" you'll never forget......c'mere lad."

[OSullivan]

10:57 PM on 03/28/2011

Wait, what? An Archbishop, a member of an institution that doesn't exactly have a stellar record for respecting child's rights, comes out against hitting children, and people start protesting? I'm confused to say the least.

[WolfWytch]

06:41 PM on 03/29/2011

I was thinking the same thing... people are protesting Not harming kids?! WTF?!

[CBasilJr]

10:53 PM on 03/28/2011

I understand the logic behand removing corporal punishment from schools.

At the same time, I believe that, if used judiciously, it is the best way to teach children that certain types of activity will not be tolerated.

It is a very narrow point, but my emotions go with the spankings. After all, if families do not give sufficient societal support to schools, then there must be something to balance it out rather than just throwing the children out of school.

[HGfromOmaha]

12:53 PM on 03/29/2011

Laying your hands on a child proves nothing other than you are capable of inflicting pain on a smaller individual. That's all.

I raised my daughter to be a fine young woman without laying a finger on her. My Mom always marveled at how I could speak to my daughter and reduce her to tears without laying a finger on her, or without cursing at her. My daughter is well mannered, respectful, intelligent, crime free, and enrolled at one of the top universities in this country....Loyola Marymount. All without laying a finger on her.

Beating a child is a 16th century training tool. The world is no longer flat.

[juna]

05:46 PM on 03/29/2011

Physical violence is seldom if ever used judiciously. Something happens in the brain of anyone who hurts a child and that thing is not good, not good at all.