Teen charged with shoving senior off dock

[CLibertarian]

My Mom had a thin plastic belt that she used to spank me with - often. When I had my children she offered it to me. I told her loudly NO. I didn't spank and my kids turned out a hell of a lot better than I did.

As much of a self-absorbed person as my brother is, he still says that he's glad that Dad spanked as often as he did because, he would have ended up in alot more trouble if he hadn't. He didn't fear or respect the authorities but, he did respect and fear Dad. Without a spanking to occassionally recalibrate his attitude, he could have easily been a teen that pushed elderly people off of docks like the teen in the OP.

My brother would never have responded positively to any softball approach. It would have only been his opportunity to manipulate whoever was around him at the time.