In 1727 the word "Spank"-- originally imitative in reference to the sound of spanking--meant "to strike with the open hand."
But of course the act of spankings slips back into history beyond human awareness. To put this subject in perspective, first there is no question that Black and White Americans have never been reared the same and in most foundational realms do not share the same values. As Nobles (in Jones, Black Psychology p103) states the Afrocentric strive to create, enhance, or maintain ways of synthesizing “group-ness”, sameness, commonality, cooperation, collective responsibility, interdependence, survival of all concerned, and being one with nature. By contrast, Europeans' typical “I” (Individualism) society features are: looking for differences in people, individuality, uniqueness, being competitive, advocating individual rights, separateness and independence, survival of the fittest, and control over Nature. My guess is that for 90% of Europeans their interest in people is not about them as valuable human beings but rather from a selfish alliance perspective--to join forces to defeat a common enemy and to take unfair advantage of others, either to make money or keep from losing money. Second, as a result of these different values Black people and White people have entirely different approaches and methods for going about getting what is most important.
Third, the very fact of the “Big Three” which characterize how White people view life--via White Superiority, White Privilege, and a Negro Caste system—generates a world of difference in their mindsets as opposed to the minds of any other culture. White Superiority, the most absurd concept ever invented, concerns being energized from exercising control; having riches (e.g. in money and possession); being “drunk with power”; and feeling entitled to Prerogatives. Whereas the 12th century English word “Privilege” implies one is entitled to special favors or added luxuries rather than necessary “rights,” “Prerogative” implies extra special privileges--as exhibited by simply taking from dark-skinned owners whatever is attractive or necessary to gain evil ends. The foundation of White Superiority is their GUN power (ranging from pistols to nuclear bombs) as well as a brute mindset featuring a willingness and eagerness to kill people, animals and Nature for reasons based upon greed or as a "preventative" measure for greed. The word “Caste” (Portuguese for unmixed race) etymologically means “to cut off” members of a society and thereby establish a hereditary social class based upon each class “staying in its place.” It is used as the mechanism of achieving White Superiority and White Privilege. By being able to dominate all institutions that control people—media, social, economic, political, educational, religious—Europeans could, can, and do exploit their victims at will by means of oppression or intimidation in order to acquire, enhance, and maintain the most precious things of Tangible Value. When one has GUN power one does not need much, if any, discipline.
Nevertheless, the Euro-American spanking philosophy began when the innumerable assortment of Europeans--convicts, prostitutes, religious dissidents, the wayward, and the like--left Europe for the Americas. Their dominant methods of disciplining disobedient White children was influenced by the Puritans' religious beliefs which, in turn, were based on the philosophy that a breakdown in family rule indicated a disregard of God's order. Since the duty of early child-care was that of the mother, the approach of White mothers' was to cage their affectionate emotions toward a disobedient child--a form of "conditional love"--at least after the child was about two years old. Some were spanked. The point was to break the child's will and to emphasize strict obedience. Besides with-holding affection, other methods included a stern tone of voice, associated with a great deal of body language, in gaining the child's attention--an approach similar to that used by many animal trainers in molding animal behavior. |
