To condemn Adrian Peterson without considering racial context ...

[YarnAddict]

108. Wrong is wrong, regardless of color

I was "spanked" as a child--at least once for something I hadn't done. It was horrible, it was abuse, it was wrong and the result was that I didn't trust my father--ever.

Did I behave in his presence?? You betcha! Could I have learned whatever lessons he was trying to teach me without spanking?? Absolutely! Did I "act out" when he wasn't around in ways he would never have approved of?? Yes. Would I have been better off in the long run if he had used other methods of discipline?? No doubt about it.

I am a white woman in my 50's, and am a mother. I understand spanking, from both points of view (parent and child.) The need to "control" your child, in certain situations, such as the ones you described, can feel overwhelming, and spanking is an immediate and effective response. However, it can have long-term negative effects, and is not worthwhile.

Again, wrong is wrong. What Peterson did was wrong.