A Brookline man who wants parents to hang up their paddles for good will take his case to Town Meeting this week.

``If it's not OK for an adult to hit another adult, why is it OK for an adult to hit a child?'' said Ron Goldman, author of Article 16 on the warrant.

The resolution, which Goldman said has the unanimous support of selectmen, would urge parents not to discipline children with corporal punishments such as spanking. The measure would not make it illegal to spank in Brookline.

``This is intended as a suggestion,'' Goldman said. ``It's about raising awareness.''

Goldman, who doesn't have children, said he wasn't spanked. The consulting engineer got interested in corporal punishment a few years ago while doing research for a doctorate in psychology.

Goldman said research shows corporal punishment is harmful to children and has been linked with violence in society.

Any resident can get a petition article on a town meeting warrant with 10 signatures. Brookline Town Meeting is expected to last three evenings beginning tonight.