Will the law as it stands, or if it’s changed, make any difference to our horrendous child abuse record?

The answer is no.

Thirteen children have been killed since the anti-smacking bill was passed two years ago, so the new law could hardly be described as a success. But can anyone seriously believe another 13 kids won’t be killed if the law is changed to allow smacking?

People who murder their young don’t care about the law.

The problem with the whole silly $9 million argument is that neither side addresses the question of serious child abuse. That, after all, is the problem we are supposed to be dealing with, surely?

The argument now has boiled down to the moral question of whether the State should be telling you how to raise your kids. That is a pretty fatuous argument. The State already does. It tells you that you must send your kids to school and demands you care for them. There is an entire industry spending many millions promoting the care and protection of the young.

I am sure these bodies would claim some success but patently the problem remains. There will be more Delcelia Witikas and James Whakarurus whatever the referendum’s outcome.

The best sense I have heard came from Tariana Turia who told an anti-violence conference: “When I look at some of the initiatives put forward for awareness campaigns, I wonder how they relate to the cold, cruel face of violence that we all seek to put a stop to. If it is to change, it must begin with us. We must look to ourselves to generate our own solutions.”

She is right. The solution lies in the values and principles operating within our families and communities.

- June 28, 2009 By Bill Ralston

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