Why did these answers against smacking children get so many "thumbs down"?

No, it just makes the parent feel a little better and the child screams and feels sorry for himself. Parents hit children because they enjoy the emotional release. Don't kid yourself on that.

A small swat on the butt when the child is hitting you is one thing, but pounding away on them under the pretense of " discipline" is a whole different kind of thing. I agree with you that parents don't discipline their kids enough these days, but there are good ways and bad ways to teach them. Being a bully is a bad way.

"Spare the rod" is often misquoted. A rod was a shepherd's tool used to GUIDE sheep away from danger, not to beat them.

I'm only in uni, but my parents were pretty old when they had me, so I had a slightly old fashioned up-bringing in terms of discipline, and I can definitely say that it means there is a strong difference between me and some of my friends when it comes to respect, behaviour and that sort of thing. So I agree it is a good thing, but excessive beating is clearly just abuse.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.