Dear Editor:

Assemblywoman Sally Lieber should not be discouraged by all the snide reactions, snickering and cheap shots her spanking restriction proposal has provoked. Such noise is an inevitable part of the process that accompanies every true reform. She should be proud and confident. She knows she’s on the right track, and deep down the spankers know it too.

We all remember the grumbling and threats of rebellion when safe, law-abiding drivers were ordered to buckle up, and when honest, tax-paying homeowners were informed that they could no longer burn their own leaves in their own back yards. Good laws pave the way for good behaviors, and in the end even the most ardent libertarian has to admit that sometimes government gets things right.

Thoughtful, informed people know there is no practical, ethical or moral justification for discriminating against children by denying them equal protection under the law. Husbands and wives can’t settle their differences anymore by hitting each other, employers can’t hit employees, prison guards can’t hit convicts. There is only one hittable class left. But not for long, thanks to people like Ms. Lieber.

Sincerely,

Jordan Riak, Exec. Dir.
PTAVE, Alamo, California