The issue about hitting kids has always been an easy one for me.

[Dustlawyer]

28. After being whipped with a belt as a child I swore I would not do that to my own kids.

They have all turned out pretty good, two with Master degrees and one going for her doctorate.
My father at least sat us down and talked to us before the whipping. He always hit 2 more times after he knew you were crying for real. He wasn't angry, just disappointed. Growing up he had to pick his own switch, but woe to the one who came back with something too small or big, they added more licks and went back and picked their own switch.
I believe he was wrong using a belt, but at least he was consistent and did not ever strike us other than the spankings.
At school they were into big paddles. My 7th grade teacher, Mrs. Roper, had "Roper's Rapper", an evil looking thing with the name burned into the wood and holes drilled through it so it would whistle when swung hard. She took pride and pleasure from beating us with it. Kinda like if you have a weapon you want to use it, she loved to use the paddle. Other teachers had them, but hers was the worst.