Of course it will be forgotten. The guy is looking for a career job. You don’t think he’d a done this if he thought it might come back to bite him? You people elected a career criminal defense lawyer as DA. Floyd ain't the only one soft on crime over there. You’re out of it if think anyone cares or will remember what Floyd did. Look for the Guvner to appoint him to some cushy job.

Than a divorce attorney elected as the top court cop (District Attorney). That's what they got in Clayton Co. I was living there at the time and wrote in something smarmy because it ticked me off sooo much.

So maybe we can thank Jewel Scott and company when Clayton crime takes off so much they forget about Fayette.

Content of character/capability and qualifications. Not the color of one's skin folks.

BTW a lot of good people still live in Clayton and contrary to popular belief not all areas are runover with thugs. If folks weren't afraid to beat their kids for misbehaving (to an appropriate degree; spanking or the belt/swtiches for instance) and put the fear of God in the youth today we'd all be better off.

thought she was a real estate lawyer, oh well same difference

There are those that believe that the BOE is more capable of raising our children than parents.

These are the same parents that believe that suspensionless drug testing and mandatory inoculations for cervical cancer via the BOE is the way to do things.

The downside is that there are parents that don't give a damn about their children and couldn't be bothered with bringing up a highly educated, well balanced child. It’s akin to a trophy wife. “My kid plays some sport and does it well , but I couldn’t tell you what that sport is or how well the play it.”

You are definitely correct is stating that someone needs to be beaten, I'm just not sure it's the child.

be it good or bad, my wife and I will be the one's who decide whether or not to drug test our child or to inoculate her, not the BOE or any other gov't agency

Yes, there are a lot of parents that don't care and couldn't be bothered, but there are far more that do care. Thank goodness.

It would be great if we could bring back the "real parents" who believed in spanking. We need to bring spanking back to the schools also.

I always thought evidence (and guidance from the judge) was what decided prosecution in court, not the "type" of lawyer. If I'm not mistaken, a lawyer must know enough about defense and offense to properly perform either well. Doing one does not disqualify one from the other. If you have reason to believe this particular lawyer is not impartial, then say that.
Also, your advice for parents to beat their kids in order to put the fear of God into them, somehow bothers me. There have been enough kids killed by dumb-ass parents over the years to make such punishment stupid. Too much of it creates monsters, not good kids.
In addition to dumb parents, in so many cases we have "A" parent, or grandmother or boyfriend, not "Parents" (particularly in the area you talk about.)
In an area like that, three parents couldn't start at infant age and raise them correctly. They are on the street by 3-4!
Beat the right people, will you?

So you'll let a divorce attorney defend you on criminal charges? I'll pass on that.

Lawyering is a highly specialized profession. Criminal law and procedure is WAY different than divorce law. In divorces, you settle property, determine alimony, take depositions and the like.

Usually in the divorces ugly enough to get to trial, both sides look (and act) like they're BOTH GUILTY. So I can't blame you for confusing simpleton divorce cases with criminal cases.

It has nothing to do with whether the DA is impartial or not. IT has everything to do with whether the DA is competent enough in criminal law PROCEDURE to evaluate all underling attorneys, hire the best new ones (hint: prosecuting pays LESS than defending) and the gumption to get rid of the idiots before they screw up and let a violent criminal loose on the streets.

As to the kid beating issue, that's my way of saying don't be afraid to spank your child now and then. The less you use this tactic the better.

In fact, early on I found the best discipline was a progressive elevation of voice when saying 1.... Two .... THREE!!!!!

My brief tour as a parent has taught me it's a lot about the expectations you have, communicating these expectations and on the rare occasion when they need it, corporal punishment. Especially followed by an explanation of "why I did it."

Until we solve some of the problems that lead to single parenting and these gosh awful long commutes, there's no way parenting is gonna get better.

Lawyers pick what specialty they want to make money at the easiest. I didn't know there were JDs in Divorce, defense, prosecuting, etc. And state tests for the same! I think a pony-tail could handle a divorce! Best qualified are too expensive anyway. They are for Anna Nicole, etc. What do you think of the Smith Judge in FL? And those blonde women attorneys whom I would have jailed the first day, if the judge.
Now, back to beating kids. So, now you are down to talking loud and saying 1,2,3? How about "time out?" Bunch of crap to repeat.
Your last statement is exactly what I said is the problem and beating should not be encouraged to these crazies! I know, you don't beat, but each has a definition, don't they?

So you're saying no parent should have the discretion to spank their children because we can't trust parents to know when to say "stop?"

Honestly I can't remember the last time I spanked my boy but I'm certain it's because he was doing something pretty dangerous where he could have hurt his sister pretty badly(she's 16 months and he's 5 years old).

He's getting to the age where it's very effective in almost all other cases to take away cartoons, candy, snack, etc. He often will ask for them after we take them away ... and then I ask him why we took the privilege away.

His voice softens, he bows his head and averts eye contact: "Because I almost hurt my sister." Sometimes I make him look me in the eye and tell me again, just to reinforce it.

Back to the spanking. If you *save* spanking as the last resort for the most egregious problems, you won't be "beating" your child. If you spank all the time, you will create nothing but hard feelings from your child and perhaps an eventual visit from the cops.

In Georgia, anytime there's a question about a child's repeated bruises, injuries, etc. all day care workers, teachers, doctors and the like are REQUIRED BY LAW to file a report with authorities such as DFCS or the police.

Remember, kids are in diapers up to age 2 or more sometimes so when day care workers change their diapers they can see any thing on a child's rear end that might be troublesome. I know child abuse still happens and is undetected ... but at the same time those parents aren't "spankers" they're criminals.

I've always liked you, now I know why.
I don't believe you are saying that parents need to beat their kids.
I understand what your're saying.
I didn't beat my kids. A little switch was enough.

Could I ask you how your kids turned out? Are they fine, upstanding, law abiding, loving citizens? Do they "switch" their kids? Do they visit you much and hug you much? How about Dad?
I'm writing a book.

What kind of book are you writing Dollar? I don't mind telling you that my three children turned out great! My grandchildren are great kids too.

Great is not much of a word but you certainly have a right to say it.
If my book just said everyone said "great," it wouldn't sell many, now would it?
I should have known better than to ask a Mom about her kids and Grandkids. Information as to actual happenings and attitudes have to come from other sources to be totally complete. I know that now.
The most that most Moms say about their kids on TV, even the very worst kids, is that they were raised right and that they didn't know what happened or who led them astray.
I don't blame you for not answering my specific questions directly. I wouldn't either.

Dollar,
I spanked both my kids until they were 5-6, at which point they were old enough to understand the "why" when I told them not to do something. I didn't use a switch, just my hand. I never had to spank either one more than a few times in their entire lives. Once they reached six, I just had to raise my voice a little if they misbehaved. As Tug said, they turned out "great". I will quantify that by saying that both of them graduated at the top of their high school classes, both graduated from college on the deans list, both are drug free and crime free, happily married, and successful. One is a lawyer, the other is a high school math teacher. And now, I'm a grandfather times two.

I will not pass judgment on other parents who refuse to spank, but under about five years old, a child simply does not understand "logic" when you try to reason with them. They only understand concrete outcomes. If something doesn't hurt, then it must be okay. I would rather the painful consequence is a swat on the rear, rather than a tragic accident. Spanking is not the only necessary ingredient to raising successful children, but I believe you need to establish the connection between behavior and consequences at an early age, and it is very hard to make that connection without some form of physical punishment when the child is below a certain age. For my children, that age seemed to be around six.

I'll bet that you are a great Dad too!

Just take the time to pick them up look them in the eye and then distract them to something else. Take the time, stop yelling, and yelling, and hitting, switching, thumping, beating, marking, burning, whomping, drowning, poisoning, and abandoning with divorces.

...when I give somebody an absolutely straight, honest answer and they respond with rhetoric like you just did. I'm speaking with the voice of experience, not theory. I tried to give you concrete results. Your response: "Take the time, stop yelling, and yelling, and hitting, switching, thumping, beating, marking, burning, whomping, drowning, poisoning, and abandoning with divorces." Well, I just had my 30th anniversary, and I never did any of those things to my kids, so what on earth are you talking about?

By the way, I agree about divorce being a big negative effect on kids, but you are just spewing rhetoric. Try listening more and spewing less.

Tug--thanks for the good words! Being a grandparent is great, isn't it? It's a second chance at being a mom or dad. The time that my kids were kids seemed to fly by so fast! Now, I can really appreciate how precious that time really is.

Sounds like you might have been beaten as a child, perhaps one too many times to the head. All children should be disciplined. However all children are not alike. Sometimes spankings don't work, especially the older they get. Based on your remarks, you seem to be very confused as to what discipline is. I've spanked my kids, but I don't consider the act as beating, burning, or "whomping" as you put it. The way a lot of kids act these days, they OBVIOUSLY haven't been disciplined enough, if at all. I don't condone any violence toward children. Most of the things you listed above are violent acts, not discipline. Yes, there are sicko parents out there that actually do these terrible things to children, but that is a totally separate issue. Please get it straight.

Bud

I was trying to be nice. You asked me how my kids turned out. I told you. You're still not happy. I will not tell you more because I am a widow and I live alone.
You might know, or know of, one of my children because of his profession.
Anything else?

And in my home, the rod is not spared, but used incredibly sparingly. My 13 and 15 year old have graduated to "restrictions" and losses of computer/cell phone/freedom, but my 6 year old, on occaision, needs the ultimate attention step. I have no doubt that you have "Great" offspring!

Kevin "Hack" King

Two of my grandchildren are about the same age as your two oldest children. They are disciplined the same as your children. No friends over, taking things away from them, etc.
I will bet that....YOU are a great Dad!