Whacks for Conroy’s Paddling Bills

* As part of the guest speakers program of my senior humanities course at Mission Viejo High School, I recently heard Assemblyman Mickey Conroy (R-Santa Ana) advocate the use of corporal punishment as a solution to the graffiti problem. His ideas on the legalized use of paddling juvenile offenders are appalling.

Can Conroy really be so out of touch with the psyche of today’s tagger, whether gang-affiliated or not, to believe that the threat of a public spanking will deter this antisocial act? Rather than intimidate taggers into abandoning their activities, the threat of violence will only provide a greater incentive to those who seek attention through defacing public and private property.

An expensive experiment at social reform, with the attendant increased costs of more juvenile proceedings, more prosecutors, more probation and social workers and now, the kiddie-spanking police, cannot substitute for proper parental control of children.

Government does a relatively poor job of enforcing moral standards for society. Perhaps Conroy should recognize this, leave the disciplining to parents, where it belongs, and stick to the job to which he was elected . . . namely, spend less of our tax dollars, and spend those more wisely!

Mr. Conroy, impose fines on taggers, lock them up or make them and their parents clean up their mess. Keep your hands to yourself and out of our pockets.

ANDREA JACOBS

Mission Viejo

* Right now there are laws punishing graffiti vandals, such as the suspension of the driver’s license. Why does Conroy waste the taxpayers’ time and money writing and promoting this ridiculous bill? There are so many other crimes being committed that it is impossible to arrest graffiti vandals and bring them all to court for their paddling. If paddling was approved for the judicial system as a reasonable punishment, wouldn’t it be easier if the officer that detained the juvenile could paddle at his own will? Or is that giving the officer too much control? Or was electing Conroy as an assemblyman in Sacramento meant to embarrass the Legislature?

PHILLIP LECLAIR

Mission Viejo

* Re Dana Parsons’ column, “Swat Team Captain Might Want to Rethink Bottom Line,” Jan. 21:

All I have to say is Parsons is a smart man. I am currently a high school student and I think Parsons understands teenagers’ thinking. He understands the logic or lack of logic behind our actions. He knows Conroy’s paddling bills will cause more problems than they will solve.

Since when will a violent act toward someone cause them to act pleasantly in return? From my experience, violence usually reciprocates violence. It’s true, a school paddling bill would work for some people in deterring misbehavior, but only for the ones who already respect the authority of their elders. The kids who would be most affected by these paddling bills are the ones who already have no respect for others or themselves. School troublemakers won’t be deterred from misbehaving by anything, not even fear. Obviously, Conroy doesn’t believe that young people today aren’t the way they used to be, frightened by a stick.

JILL HARRELL

Laguna Niguel

* If you are going to allow the “paddling” of children, then what should be done with the supervisors who did not pay attention to former Orange County Treasurer Robert Citron’s investments? Thirty lashes?

ANDY WING

Laguna Beach