I was going to post this in a Venting thread, but it is vaguely related to this issue, so I will bring it up here for discussion.

Yesterday, I was walking through a parking lot when I noticed a baby asleep in a carseat, alone in the back of a car. It was a bright, sunny 80+ degree day, around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. There were no covers over the windows and the car was not in the shade. I also noticed that the doors were unlocked (it was the type of car where you can see the little stubs at the base of the window, and they were all the way up). There was no adult (in fact, there was NOBODY) within probably 200 feet of the car.

Striking the child as described is not acceptable, or even legal.

Washington State: Physical discipline is not unlawful if reasonable and moderate and inflicted by parent /teacher/guardian for restraint or correction. Presumed unreasonable if the following are used to correct/ restrain: -- Throwing, kicking, burning, cutting, striking with a closed fist, shaking a child under 3, interfering with breathing, threatening with a deadly weapon, any other act likely to cause and which does cause bodily harm greater than transient pain or minor temporary marks. [Statute says this list is illustrative and not exclusive]. Age, size,condition of child, and location of injury are all factors in determining "reasonable" and "moderate." § 9A.16.100. [Criminal Code]

Texas: Abuse does not include reasonable discipline by a parent/guardian/managing or possessory conservator if child not exposed to substantial risk of harm. Family Code § 261.001. [Civil Code] Parent/stepparent/person standing in loco parentis to child is justified to use non-deadly force against a child under 18 when and to degree the actor reasonably believes necessary to discipline, or safeguard or promote child's welfare. Penal § 9.61. [Criminal Code]

Within the boundary of beating and abuse, why? Everyone has a stake in the future, most especially when we will be feeble and the current children will be providing for us. An adult's duty is to instruct, provide discipline, and admonish all children for the child's good and the good of society.

"It takes a village"?

Yesterday, I was walking through a parking lot when I noticed a baby asleep in a carseat, alone in the back of a car. It was a bright, sunny 80+ degree day, around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. There were no covers over the windows and the car was not in the shade. I also noticed that the doors were unlocked (it was the type of car where you can see the little stubs at the base of the window, and they were all the way up). There was no adult (in fact, there was NOBODY) within probably 200 feet of the car.

In some states there are laws against leaving children under a certain age unattended in a vehicle (running or otherwise), but I don't know if people who do so are hit with anything other than a fine for first offense.

In this case, I think I would have called the cops if the parents seemed uninterested in rectifying the matter. Of course, if I wasn't able to find them in the first place, I'd immediately call the police.

Just imagine if someone else of lower character than yourself had come by, seen the unlocked car with its keys in the ignition. He could have made off with the car and child in moments.

It should be illegal to leave pets in cars like this, not to mention children.

Sec. 261.109. FAILURE TO REPORT; PENALTY. (a) A person commits an offense if the person has cause to believe that a child's physical or mental health or welfare has been or may be adversely affected by abuse or neglect and knowingly fails to report as provided in this chapter.

(b) An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor.

Sec. 261.106. IMMUNITIES. (a) A person acting in good faith who reports or assists in the investigation of a report of alleged child abuse or neglect or who testifies or otherwise participates in a judicial proceeding arising from a report, petition, or investigation of alleged child abuse or neglect is immune from civil or criminal liability that might otherwise be incurred or imposed.

(b) Immunity from civil and criminal liability extends to an authorized volunteer of the department or a law enforcement officer who participates at the request of the department in an investigation of alleged or suspected abuse or neglect or in an action arising from an investigation if the person was acting in good faith and in the scope of the person's responsibilities.

(c) A person who reports the person's own abuse or neglect of a child or who acts in bad faith or with malicious purpose in reporting alleged child abuse or neglect is not immune from civil or criminal liability.

Sec. 261.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:

(1) "Abuse" includes the following acts or omissions by a person:

(A) mental or emotional injury to a child that results in an observable and material impairment in the child's growth, development, or psychological functioning;

(B) causing or permitting the child to be in a situation in which the child sustains a mental or emotional injury that results in an observable and material impairment in the child's growth, development, or psychological functioning;

(C) physical injury that results in substantial harm to the child, or the genuine threat of substantial harm from physical injury to the child, including an injury that is at variance with the history or explanation given and excluding an accident or reasonable discipline by a parent, guardian, or managing or possessory conservator that does not expose the child to a substantial risk of harm;

(D) failure to make a reasonable effort to prevent an action by another person that results in physical injury that results in substantial harm to the child;

(E) sexual conduct harmful to a child's mental, emotional, or physical welfare, including conduct that constitutes the offense of continuous sexual abuse of young child or children under Section 21.02, Penal Code, indecency with a child under Section 21.11, Penal Code, sexual assault under Section 22.011, Penal Code, or aggravated sexual assault under Section 22.021, Penal Code;

(F) failure to make a reasonable effort to prevent sexual conduct harmful to a child;

(G) compelling or encouraging the child to engage in sexual conduct as defined by Section 43.01, Penal Code;

(H) causing, permitting, encouraging, engaging in, or allowing the photographing, filming, or depicting of the child if the person knew or should have known that the resulting photograph, film, or depiction of the child is obscene as defined by Section 43.21, Penal Code, or pornographic;

(I) the current use by a person of a controlled substance as defined by Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, in a manner or to the extent that the use results in physical, mental, or emotional injury to a child;

(J) causing, expressly permitting, or encouraging a child to use a controlled substance as defined by Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code; or

(K) causing, permitting, encouraging, engaging in, or allowing a sexual performance by a child as defined by Section 43.25, Penal Code.

Texas law, like many other places I suspect, loves the word "reasonable." But there's a lot more to it than a four line quip.

(C) physical injury that results in substantial harm to the child, or the genuine threat of substantial harm from physical injury to the child, including an injury that is at variance with the history or explanation given and excluding an accident or reasonable discipline by a parent, guardian, or managing or possessory conservator that does not expose the child to a substantial risk of harm;/

Abuse does NOT include reasonable discipline

In short, you can praise people you see hitting their kids in public if you like. Wait ten years, and those kids will be bogans. Congratulations.

I think most people in the USA probably consider any family who does not use some form of corporal punishment to be "hippie" and their methods "overly hippie."