Cindy Kiro: "A light smack is ok, but it's not ok"

Cindy Kiro and Robert E. Lazerele were interviewed in the first slot of Campbell Live tonight.

John: "Cindy, if we're talking about warning a child, giving them time out and then as a last resort giving them a light smack, what is wrong with that?"

Cindy: "well I think umm... if you know what a light smack is probably nothing much, but thats not the point thats being made here; and first of all I'd just like to challenge Dr Larzelere."

What followed on from this was criticism about writing an article for what used to be called the Biblical Institute of Los Angeles, in which he "advocated a balanced spiritual view of spanking."

Cindy: "...And, one of the conditions actually of having that publication published was actually that you had to have a position that was consistent with an evangelical position."

later...

John: "specifically and explicitly, what is your critisism of Dr Larzelere here?"

Cindy: "that basically he's a climate change skeptic in child discipline."


John to Dr Larzelere: "are you a fundamentalist Christian?"
Dr Larzelere: "no,"

John: "are you a Christian conservative?"

Dr Larzelere: "I am, I am a person of faith. but if I were an atheist I would still stand by every conslusion my research has found."

Cindy: "John, the point that I'm trying to make is this, to present yourself as a world expert who's got scientific views on this , is I think misleading."

John: "What I'm confused about is that if the science is all on your side, if the only people who disagree with you are actually people you're trying to characterize as actually Christians in the fringe why haven't you managed to take the public with you in this argument."

Cindy: "It takes a long time to understand what this means and we've been pushed into a position of trying to explain and educate the public very quickly with a lot of misinformation going around."

John: "and vilify your opponents it seems like to me tonight."

later...

John: "is smacking; spanking of any description ever ok?"

Cindy: "I think not"

Dr Larzelere: "I think that to defend the type of positive discipline the Dr Kiro is for as well parents need effective disciplinary enforcement, and if milder ones are better but some kids push the limits where non abusive smacking is nessary."

Click here for the archived footage of Campbell Live from 30 April 07

updated 1May07