Parental Rights, What Are Your Thoughts On This Article?

[sjl127]

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[Atomic Dog]

Don't use a belt and a cane.


I don't believe in harming kids and anything other than an open hand is too much. Without knowing the situation I'm not sure what I would have done if she were my daughter but I wouldn't have beat the shit out of her.

Reading, PA - A 61-year-old city woman was arrested by Reading police for beating her granddaughter with a cane and belt after finding the girl in bed with another female teenager from the neighborhood, investigators said Saturday.

Joyce Y. Beddell of the 600 block of North Front Street was committed to Berks County Prison in lieu of $10,000 bail after arraignment before Senior District Judge Richard Gatti. Reading police charged Beddell with aggravated and simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and endangering the welfare of a child.

Beddell's 16-year-old granddaughter suffered serious bruises to her legs and buttocks during the assault, which occurred Thursday about 5 p.m. in the residence they shared, police said.

Beddell beat the teenager with her cane until it broke, police said.

The girl's name was not released by police, who said she was in severe pain and was treated in Reading Hospital for unspecified injuries.

Investigators gave this account:


The granddaughter had just finished having sex with another 16-year-old girl and was in an upstairs bedroom. Beddell walked in and found them together.

The neighborhood girl ran out of the house to her nearby home while Beddell was beating her granddaughter with the cane.

Neighbors said they saw Beddell leave the house a short time later. She was accompanied by her limping granddaughter. The two of them went to the other girl's house to tell her mother what they had been doing.

Beddell returned to her home with her granddaughter and continued to beat her with a belt. Police were called to the house to investigate a report of child abuse.

The girl had noticeable injuries to her legs, and police took her to the hospital.

Beddell told police that she had done nothing wrong and said she should have been allowed to discipline her granddaughter as she saw fit.

•Contact reporter Jason A. Kahl at 610 371-5024 or jkahl@readingeagle.com.

[unix_slayer]

Don't use a belt and a cane.


I don't believe in harming kids and anything other than an open hand is too much. Without knowing the situation I'm not sure what I would have done if she were my daughter but I wouldn't have beat the shit out of her.

They just passed a law in Massachusetts about corporal punish on children. They are arresting people like crazy. More states are following suit. I brought up my two boys to be good, and honest man. I don't think I can recall a time I did psychically hit them more than once in their lives. I did what my father did. I hung the studded belt in the back of the closet door. When he used to open it, I knew I was shit out of luck, and did the wrong thing. I don't believe in beating my kids, or even my dog. Correcting them is another story. It can be done psychologically, or with taking away material things.

[PisnNapalm]

I believe that a parent should be allowed to spank a child. Open hand contacing butt cheeks only. It takes alot from my kids to get that far.

When I have spanked them they get two smacks. One on each cheek.

I think that beating someone with any kind of object is wrong.

[sjl127]

Questions that arise - are these allegations from the 16 year old? After a spanking, I'm sure there would be red marks...

Should a parents job to be to protect their children, both physically and morally, however they see fit as the situation warrants?

I had a paddle to my butt before. Yeah, it hurt. but, looking back, I was a bastard.

[jb12string]

If your kid was limping after the encouter, you went too far. Open hand to the backside isn't out of line I don't think.

[IV_Warrior]

Sounds to me like the charges fit. If serious bruises were left, this was well beyond "discipline". I have no problems with parents spanking their children, my parents did it to me when I deserved it, but I was never bruised from it.

[Atomic Dog]

Guys,


SHE BROKE A WOODEN CANE OVER THE BODY OF A CHILD!


This is more than "a little too far" This is psycho. This is borderline attempted manslaughter, and then resuming with a belt later in the day?




Be lucky I'm not on that jury.

[sjl127]

I can't help but defend the grand mom. I'm not condoning beating. But, I would like to argue:

Why does the state reserve its right to corporal punishment and the oldest form of government, the parental household, can not... ???

[Atomic Dog]

I can't help but defend the grand mom. I'm not condoning beating. But, I would like to argue:

Why does the state reserve its right to corporal punishment and the oldest form of government, the parental household, can not... ???

They are allowed to execute someone for certain crimes and it is done as humanely as possible. This isn't a death penalty debate but you have to agree a relatively peaceful death under controlled circumstances is better than a vicious beating with a cane and belt. She broke a god damn cane over her rear end! have you ever tried to break a cane? It's not easy. And to break it off a wide, soft surface like a human body is just not easy.