Police Priorities Skewed

Simeon and I are pleased to welcome Chuck Bird onto the blogging team on the Section 59 blog. Below is Chuck's first article.

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(An email to Leighton Smith, radio talkback host)

I received the following email yesterday.

Exclusive Child HARD-CORE ! Young and innocent little boys and girls, 8 - 13 years old.
Come also see new videos with small girls!

I have not included the website references.

I called the police and am appalled their lack of interest. They told to print it off and lay a complaint at my police station. I told them I would prefer to email. They were not interested. I told them they should get their priorities right and give a priority to real child abuse instead of harassing good parents.

I will probably print off a copy but not go to the police station but send it to the Minister of Police and the opposition spokesman.

Do you think I am unreasonable? Plenty of people would think if the police do not really care why should I go to any bother as the will file my evidence in the round bin.

Feel free to rear this if you choose. The officer who was not seriously interested name was John Fraser. No rank or department given.

Cheers
Chuck

Canada to Criminalise Smacking

The Suburban from Quebec, Canada reports on the passing of an Anti-Smacking bill.

"Recently, the Senate passed a bill that will eliminate the section of our criminal code that allows the use of “reasonable” force in order to correct a child’s behaviour. In the media it’s been dubbed the anti-spanking law and judging from the comments on websites that are reporting this development, many Canadians are livid about it.

I’ve read comments saying if the bill becomes law it will be a waste of government resources and will lead to a generation of wild children with no respect for authority. More than a few people seem to think this bill is over-the-top government interference and that spanking is an acceptable, non-abusive disciplinary tool. Some lawyers warned the Senate about a possible onslaught of criminal prosecutions that would label competent parents as child abusers.

I believe there is a difference between hitting a child in a controlled manner as a predictable consequence to unacceptable behaviour and letting loose on a child out of rage. Perhaps it’s because I’m old enough to have grown up at a time when getting spanked was an ordinary, though exceedingly unpleasant, part of childhood...."

Click here for the entire article

There's that 83% Again

...it just won't go away. www.littlies.co.nz is currently running a poll asking the following question:

One year on, do you think the anti-smacking Bill has proved to be effective?

Yes (8%)

No (83%)

Unsure (9%)