Dobson may very well have been treated that way when he was a squirt. But in any case, he hasn't the foggiest idea about how to handle behavior problems. Resorting to inflicting physical pain shows a lack of smarts, and possibly even a cruel streak. Some people should not be allowed near children. Or even voice an opinion on the subject of children. They are too unqualified on many levels.

Once when I was in one of those drug stores where they sell everything from hardware to lawn furniture to microwave ovens to office supplies (and the actual pharmacy is in a little area about the size of a phone booth), I say a mother handle her child's misbehavior in what I thought was a most effective way—she got almost immediate results—without having to resort to corporal punishment, or anything physical.   

They were walking past the toy section and the young 'un spotted some action figures. He had to have some of them. His mother said no, not now, and bade him come along. He started yelling. Again, she told him no, and to come on. He revved up for a doozey of a tantrum and started screaming and kicking things. The woman looked at him for a moment, then turned around and simply walked away. When the kid saw she was leaving, the tantrum came to a sudden halt, and he ran after her, practically tears, yelling "Mommy, mommy!" She stopped, looked down at him, and said, "If you're going to behave like that, I don't want people to know that you're my child.   Now, come along."

From then on, good as gold. No more trouble.

No hitting, no yelling on the mother's part, no loss of control—and no Spock pinch. I don't know what a child psychologist would say, but it looked to me like she handled the situation pretty well, and the young 'un had a chance to see that that kind of behavior wasn't going to work on her.

Don Firth