Public Square: Readers weigh in on failure of Oklahoma anti-spanking bill
After failing to pass the Oklahoma House of Representatives recently, a bill banning schools from using corporal punishment on special needs students will likely get another chance to be considered. We asked readers what their thoughts are on lawmakers citing the Bible to defend physically punishing special needs students. Here are some of their responses:
"They are using it out of context and not reading the material around the said scripture citing to get the full meaning/message. It’s not what Jesus would do!"
— Bryson Bunger, Edmond
"I think it is a blatant violation of our First Amendment right to not be governed by religion. Oklahoma reps behave as though we are living in a theocracy and if we don't stop them I think we will be a theocracy in the near future. Someone else's religious views should not be the basis of our law."
— Victoria Wilson, Oklahoma City
"Absolutely unacceptable. Using the Bible as any political standing point for anything is not okay, first off. That's why we have separation of church and state. But for something as deplorable as defending the right to use corporal punishment of special needs children makes me absolutely sick to my stomach. It's evil. It's shameful. It's embarrassing."
— Bailey Stringer, Oklahoma City
"We can use the Bible to defend all manner of atrocities that Jesus would probably not condone. ... I mean, when you think about it, it was the church and the government working together that killed Jesus, so maybe beware of officials spouting random scriptures. Also, using scripture to justify perpetuating violence against someone is something we criticize Muslim people for doing. It’s like we don’t recognize the irony. I understand that several generations were raised with this type of abuse and would argue that because they don’t FEEL abused, they weren’t; however, science would disagree."
— Eric Herrera, Oklahoma City
"The defeat of House Bill 1028, which would do away with corporal punishment for children with disabilities, was a shock to many Americans. Adults are protected against such physical treatment by tort law regarding assault and battery. The legalizing of the assault and battery of students with disabilities is an admission of administrative failure in an educational facility and a step towards barbarism in education.
— Virginia M. Jones, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
"The race to the 'bottom of mean' continues at the state Legislature, keeping us apace with other states that are competing for the meanest of the mean. In defeating Rep. John Talley's HB 1028 banning corporal punishment of students with disabilities, Rep. John Olsen distinguished himself meritoriously in the competition for meanness and, in justification of his vote, invoked God's word and God's counsel as his guide. First, he completely ignores the fact that there are people of many faiths, and of no particular faith, in our great state. Beyond that, I don't know which god he speaks of, but finding anything of Christ's love for children is starkly absent. Can you see Jesus calling a disabled child to his lap and administering corporal punishment for an infraction? God deliver us from this new low in the race to mean! And, women, beware! The same laws he takes so literally also prescribe how large a stick a man can use to beat his wife. This national race to meanness must stop somewhere.
— Donna Compton, The Village
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Your Views: Readers weigh in on failure of Oklahoma anti-spanking bill
