I don't think what Jermaine said in this interview by any means undermines what Michael said occurred. I think Jermaine is acknowledging that they have two different perspectives on what took place. So Joe used the belt. I am thinking that many members here are not black and/or did not grow up in a black household. In our families, if you got spanked with just a belt, consider yourself fortunate. Let me see, in my life, I have gotten spanked with a bottle open, extention cord, the new braches of a tree so that it will whip you and not break, floppy shoes, books, you name it, it has happened. My Mom used to line all of the kids up and go one by one giving us a spanking. We used to get a bunch of welt marks. After we stopped crying, we would compare who had the most/biggest welt marks. And, I don't think for one minute I was abused. My brothers and sisters laugh about it now. We laugh about how we got our butts torn up. When my sister spanks her children now, I don't say anything either. She disciplines her children as she sees fit. I don't think I will spank my children if I ever have any, at least not regularly and definitely not with an object, but I dare some nosey busy body to try to tell me I'm being abusive. People can say it is illegal all they want, but I guarantee you it is still a very common occurence and the people who do it do not consider it illegal or damaging.
I find it very interesting that people who acknowledge that something like beatings and calling names can cause emotional abuse to a child for decades, yet, they will not allow Janet that name calling from Michael could influence her just as much. The same reasoning, that everybody did it, is the same reasoning that people say to downplay Janet - that all kids make fun of each other. If you are going to call it out in one line it has to apply even if it is being done by your favorite.
I am sensitive to what Michael went through as a person and understand that in his eyes it was very traumatic. That is why as parents we have to know our children and their dispositions because one form of discipline may be a walk in the yard to one child but extremely damaging to another. I feel for Michael and all he went through and I appreciate him speaking out about his experience. It is experiences like this that make me think hesitantly about spanking any children I might have. He is the first person in my whole life who I ever heard of speaking of spankings as abuse. Almost universally to all people who I speak to that were spanked, we all joke about the experience and are even thankful for it. I appreciate Janet talking about sibling name calling and how it effected her. Since I was always the fatest one in my family (I'm even fatter than my mother and my grandparents. MY GRANDPARENTS!) and I was always teased for it by my family. People tell me I'm not that big, but when your mother after having 4 children and weighing 98 lbs at 5'6, being 5'4 and over 170 is considered Shamu. And, it hurts the most coming from the family member you are closest to even if other engage in it as well.
I appreciate that Jermaine has his own perspective and I appreciate that he acknowledges how it was for him. If he doesn't see it as abuse, then we have to be understanding of other people's perspective. No two people are exactly alike.
I find it very interesting that people who acknowledge that something like beatings and calling names can cause emotional abuse to a child for decades, yet, they will not allow Janet that name calling from Michael could influence her just as much. The same reasoning, that everybody did it, is the same reasoning that people say to downplay Janet - that all kids make fun of each other. If you are going to call it out in one line it has to apply even if it is being done by your favorite.
I am sensitive to what Michael went through as a person and understand that in his eyes it was very traumatic. That is why as parents we have to know our children and their dispositions because one form of discipline may be a walk in the yard to one child but extremely damaging to another. I feel for Michael and all he went through and I appreciate him speaking out about his experience. It is experiences like this that make me think hesitantly about spanking any children I might have. He is the first person in my whole life who I ever heard of speaking of spankings as abuse. Almost universally to all people who I speak to that were spanked, we all joke about the experience and are even thankful for it. I appreciate Janet talking about sibling name calling and how it effected her. Since I was always the fatest one in my family (I'm even fatter than my mother and my grandparents. MY GRANDPARENTS!) and I was always teased for it by my family. People tell me I'm not that big, but when your mother after having 4 children and weighing 98 lbs at 5'6, being 5'4 and over 170 is considered Shamu. And, it hurts the most coming from the family member you are closest to even if other engage in it as well.
I appreciate that Jermaine has his own perspective and I appreciate that he acknowledges how it was for him. If he doesn't see it as abuse, then we have to be understanding of other people's perspective. No two people are exactly alike.
Katherine's religion does not teach any of that at all. So, you can try to explain her actions based on the common religious teaching (especially since Katherine didn't become a JW til she was an adult) but I don't think we should try to lump it into JW teachings.
