Звездный десант

           Thesechildrenwereoftencaught;policearrestedbatcheseachday.Weretheyscolded?Yes,oftenscathingly.Weretheirnosesrubbedinit?Rarely.Newsorgansandofficialsusuallykepttheirnamessecret—inmanyplacesthelawsorequiredforcriminalsundereighteen.Weretheyspanked?Indeednot!Manyhadneverbeenspankedevenassmallchildren;therewasawidespreadbeliefthatspanking,oranypunishmentinvolvingpain,didachildpermanentpsychicdamage."

           (Ihadreflectedthatmyfathermustneverhaveheardofthattheory.)

           "Corporalpunishmentinschoolswasforbiddenbylaw,"hehadgoneon.

           "Floggingwaslawfulassentenceofcourtonlyinonesmallprovince,Delaware,andthereonlyforafewcrimesandwasrarelyinvoked;itwasregardedas‘cruelandunusualpunishment.’"Duboishadmusedaloud,"Idonotunderstandobjectionsto‘cruelandunusual’punishment.Whileajudgeshouldbebenevolentinpurpose,hisawardsshouldcausethecriminaltosuffer,elsethereisnopunishment—andpainisthebasicmechanismbuiltintousbymillionsofyearsofevolutionwhichsafeguardsusbywarningwhensomethingthreatensoursurvival.Whyshouldsocietyrefusetousesuchahighlyperfectedsurvivalmechanism?However,thatperiodwasloadedwithpre-scientificpseudo-psychologicalnonsense.

           "Asfor‘unusual,’punishmentmustbeunusualoritservesnopurpose."Hethenpointedhisstumpatanotherboy."Whatwouldhappenifapuppywerespankedeveryhour?"

           "Uh...probablydrivehimcrazy!"

           "Probably.