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We have obedient parents and teachers. If we doubted that, it was made abundantly clear of late with the pending law prohibiting parents from smacking their children. If found guilty, they face a R300.00 fine or even imprisonment.

We tend to sit back and question what has become of our kids, our world. The answer is clear. We have robbed them of their childhood. Imagine a child giving birth to a child. They have been the right to keep or abort the baby with or without their parents knowledge, let alone permission. Common sense tells us that it is not OK for kids to have kids. Common sense tells us that kids must be protected at all costs. Common sense tells us that kids must be kids, for as long as possible. Someone, please tell me, do you think our law makers have any common sense?

Do these law makers give any thought to the laws they so willy nilly want to impose. Children have more rights than parents and teachers. But rights should be limited because with rights comes responsibilities. The rest should be regarded as privileges. I ask you with tears in my navy blue eyes, what does a 12 year old know about having a child, rearing a child - and even more frightening, the life long trauma of an abortion. I suppose everything at all cost, as long as our government looks good on paper.

I dare joe public to spend a day in the life of a teacher in an ordinary public school. Then compare your life when you were at school to the present day situation. It is in shambles, simply because the kids have all the rights and no teacher wants to spend time in jail for reprimanding learners, God forbid, hitting a child. Have you seen the devastating results? Most teachers have now taken on a nonchalant attitude - teaching is a job, unappreciated and as long as the job is done, its OK. Have you noticed the general untidiness of the children's work? Was that allowed in your day? Why is it OK to pass by the skin of their teeth? As long as it is a pass! How did your parents react when you brought home a report you thought was good, but was not good enough for them. What are we teaching our children? That its OK to be such a 3rd class learner when they can be the best that they can be?

I am not promoting corporal punishment. Hell, I am not even saying that we must give our kids a smack. I am, however, pleading that we take back the role of being parents. If we don't, our children will have an even bleaker future. I love my kids so much. I love them too much to see them fall by the wayside. I love them so much, that if need be, I will offer the law makers their R300.00 and reach for the wooden spoon.

What is your opinion regarding this?

I Totally agree with you. I might go a bit further an say that there is nothing wrong with smacking a child when it has been naughty. My grandfather always to say "As n kind se boude brand gaan sy ore opp" and that is the truth.

I live in England now and the situation here with their youth is quite dire. They show no respect to elders, teachers, police etc. They have the highest teenage pregnancy and abortion rates in Europe. There is a real problem with anti-social behavior among teens as well. I have spoken to many Brits and their consensus is that they should never have taken away the cane from school or brought in the law that doesn't allow you to spank your children.

Many people say that teachers abused their right to cane children and I'm sure there where some cases, but i will promise you that it was very rare. I believe the cane should be brought back to schools, closely monitored to make sure no one abuses that power and those who do should be severely punished.

Now, as parents we have spanked our children for hundreds, thousands of years throughout human history, it has always been the way we discipline our kids. Surely people should have the right to decide how to raise their kids and how to discipline them. There is a clear difference between discipline and abuse. There are parents that abuse their children, but these people will abuse their children whether they are allowed by law to spank their kids or not...