`I did it out of love': Felony charge for father who spanked son with belt

[The Straight Story]

`I did it out of love': Felony charge for father who spanked son with belt
By Casey Ross and Franci Richardson
Sunday, May 1, 2005

A Plymouth father facing a felony charge for using a belt to spank his 12-year-old son over forgotten homework says he's the victim of overzealous authorities with no business telling him how to discipline his child.
``My record is spotless and all of a sudden I have a felony charge?'' an exasperated Charles Enloe said following his arrest by Plymouth police. ``. . . How is a parent supposed to raise a child these days? You can't spank them, you can't yell at them in stores. I feel I was wrongly charged.''


Enloe, a 42-year-old divorced father, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon Thursday after his son and ex-wife reported the spanking to police. Authorities said Enloe's son, who was back in his father's care last night, did not suffer any injuries as a result of the incident.
The case, which also is being investigated by the state Department of Social Services, resurrects the controversial issue of when corporal punishment by parents crosses the line into abuse and criminal activity.

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=81061

[mhr]

1. He Does Not Attend The Right Church - Baptist Family Values

Sample quotes from their website - see below:

"My wife and I have a general goal of making sure that each of our children has his will broken by the time he reaches the age of one year. To do this, a child must receive correction when he is a small infant."

'But these opponents of God's methods may object, "What you are suggesting will hurt the child and may even bruise him!" My response would be, "That is correct." A child may in fact be bruised by a session of difficult correction. In fact, the Lord has already anticipated this objection and has discussed it briefly in the Scriptures. "The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly" (Proverbs 20:30). One may say, "That is talking about a child who has bruised himself in an accident at play."'

--------

THE CORRECTION AND SALVATION OF CHILDREN

By Ronald E. Williams

Believers Baptist Church, 508 School St., Winona Lake, IN 46590 [phone]

TWO DIRECTIVES OF SOLOMON FOR THE CORRECTION AND SALVATION OF CHILDREN

"Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell." Proverbs 23:13,14

THE FIRST DIRECTIVE: The perception of my duty and the promise involved if I carry out my duty

A. The perception of my duty

"Withhold not correction from the child."

Through a negative admonition, "withhold not," Solomon is encouraging us to perceive what our duty is with regard to our child. One might ask, Why is it necessary to be told what our duty is? Because we would naturally "withhold" instead of obeying. The Scripture indicates in Proverbs 13:24, "He that spareth his rod, hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes." Many parents today are in a position where they Biblically hate their children because they are not acting against their natural feelings and disciplining themselves towards the Godly habit-pattern of consistent correction. In other words, it takes work, wisdom, self discipline, and

Godliness to correct children the way the Lord wants.

Fight your feelings

Snip ......

http://www.hbcsomerset.net/Familyarticles/correction_and_salvation_of_chil.htm

[Geo55]

6. These people are truly , truly self deluded sick puppies.....sad

[mhr]

10. My Thought Exactly - But If He Belonged To This Church

God would approve of his actions.

He could use the God defense.

[tjdee]

2. "Assault with a deadly weapon"? Are they serious?

There are two issues here:
1)Charging this father with such a serious crime seems unnecessary.

2)I wonder how much of this is the ex-wife wanting to find anything wrong with him--but he provided an excellent opportunity for that, and shouldn't be spanking a 12 year old for forgetting his homework.

The whole story sounds wacky.

[FreedomAngel82]

3. So let me see

He got arrested because he whipped his child for not doing homework? This is kinda weird.

[tjdee]

4. Yeah, they could have charged him with stupidity....

"Enloe, who insists he has no personal animosity toward police, said he is mostly upset that spanking his son could constitute a felony. He said he lightly tapped his son on the rear end three times after the boy forgot to bring his homework home from school."

Apparently, the kid then called his mom, etc. They issued a restraining order (whaaa?) and then the next day arrested him (gee, could they spare it?)

This dad was obviously overreacting, which is unfortunate. But assault with a deadly weapon? If the man was so dangerous, why did it take them a day to charge him and get him?

[babylonsister]

5. We (my brothers and sisters-5 including me) got whupped

with a belt and/or switches from the back of our home, maybe about one time. That's about all it took! My dad and mom disciplined 5 kids; the baby is 48 and the oldster is 53. That old chestnut 'spare the rod...' might not have hurt. I'm just saying...

[Wizard777]

7. First amendment defense!

"Spare the rod and spoil the child." The rod (wand) is symbolic of wisdom in action as opposed to the staff which is wisdom in complacency or the stick in the mud.
If he does not keep his child on the right path and raise him right. The child could turn to crime. If he commits murder as a man he can be executed. I think a good old fashioned whipping is less abusive than even the possibility of execution. Maybe that is their real beef. They feel his discapline could deprive them of a future right to execute the child as an adult. Allowing parents to resume Corporal Punishment would move them away from the police state many cities are heading for. Baltimore's Police Commissioner is talking war.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

9. Umm...what the fuck?

I hope your sarcasm is on.

[Wizard777]

13. I'm a Baltimorean so of course I'm sarcastic.

But not entirely. That's a Subtle blend of truth and sarcasm. I would like to see us go from being the city that bleeds back to being the city that reads. That's going to take a lot of ass whoping by PARENTS, not Cops, and a whole lot of books. :)

[fortyfeetunder]

8. Oh, he should have called the cops

:sarcasm: so they could handcuff the kid....that'll teach him to do his homework!

[MontageOfFreedom]

11. What in the world?

Assault with a deadly weapon? Since when is a stick a deadly weapon? The most anyone should get for spanking is a misdemeanor.

More insanity of the freepers.

[understandinglife]

12. These are fristian values. Jesus would be appalled. (nt)

www.missionnotaccomplished.us (A day for reflection on how YOU are going to stop, peacefully, Bu$h and his fristian neoconster buddies from committing any more atrocities)


p.s. DO NOT EVER HIT A CHILD -- GOT IT.

[Wizard777]

14. Then go tell it on the mountain!

"Spare the rod and spoil the child"
God AKA Jesus' daddy.

His kid was executed by a corrupt Republic. God didn't need the rod his kid could walk on water. If yours can't then you should have a rod. They just might not make you use it. The parabel of the vine. It's a wounding to thier betterment. Please read your bible BEFORE you preach. Thank You.