Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences 
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I can’t answer for anyone else, but I do know that when I was growing up the thought of getting a spanking often kept me on the straight and narrow. I spank my kids for the same reason, and to let them know that there are tangible consequences for their actions. It’s not about being in control, but it is a control mechanism. Finally, it worked for me, and as the old saying goes, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ I see no reason to tweak a formula that has worked for generations just for the sake of novelty. Remember ‘New Coke’? Don’t take this the wrong way, but your questions put me in mind of a parent who doesn’t spend much time with her kids, because you speak as though once you punish a child for something – whether the punishment be corporal or not – the child should never commit that act (or omission) again. (I analogize it to you saying, ‘Why put criminals in prison? If it’s an effective punishment, why do we have repeat offenders?’) As a parent, I am quite sure you know that children will continue to do a certain thing even when you have told them not to and punished them for that activity in the past. Long story short, it’s difeerent strokes for different folks. If sidetsepping corporal punishment works for you, then go for it. As a child I always thought it was abominable when my parents spanked me, but as a parent I have to tell you that I understand now and support it.
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Name : Michael, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 36, City : Houston, State : TX, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College,I’ve seen this same question put to white males, and invariably the same half-joking response comes up: ‘Because we don’t pee on ours…’ It’s pretty unsanitary, to say the least, but it all tends to come back to the same thing: they were never taught to do it as a child (or rather, it was never stressed). I don’t know how widespread it is, but I’ve seen whites whom I personally like and professionally respect not wash their hands, and my estimation of them just cratered. Come on, people! This is basic hygiene!
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Name : Michael, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 36, City : Houston, State : TX, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College,It’s just a stupid trend that will fade with time. Basically, if you have a grill, people will immediately assume that you are somebody (ie, a famous rapper).
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Name : Michael, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 36, City : Houston, State : TX, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College,I think this piggybacks on your other spanking question, but I think the answer is more cultural than anything else. For me it kind of boils down to black people a) being more willing to incorporate corporal punishment into their child-rearing, b) being less concerned with how they will be perceived publicly, and c) simply wanting their kids to know what kind of behavior will and will not be tolerated, regardless of setting. There is a school of thought that says this phenomenon – like much of African-American behavior – was a direct by-product of slavery. A slave’s master could sell him/her on a whim, thereby separating mother and child, brother and sister. Imagine if you will a scenario where every time your child cried too loud, made an error or even looked at the master wrong it might be the last time you’d see him: ‘Make that baby stop crying or I’m going to sell him…If he leaves that gate open again I’m gonna sell him…If I catch him eyeballing me again I’m gonna sell him…’ Black parents thus learned to take swift action with respect to keeping their kids in line, and that trend has continued. If I might address the flip side of your question, most black people think caucasians are horrible parents when it comes to discipline. The perception is that white people let their kids run wild and do whatever they want – particularly in public. Basically, you are perceived as not being in control of your kids. A prime example – if you watch the show – is Lynette on ‘Desperate Housewives’. Her kids are clearly little monsters and if there were more discipline at home perhaps they would be less likely to do all the dorrible things they contemplate. That is how white parents are perceived in general by African-Americans.
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Name : Michael, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 36, City : Houston, State : TX, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College,
