Here in North Carolina, a sick story has been developing about a woman that murdered her adopted 4-year-old son last month and beat two others with lengths of plumbing pipe. Most of us would prefer to think of the murder of Sean Paddock as the depraved act of an isolated psychopath. But Lynn Paddock, now charged with first-degree murder and possibly facing the death penalty, did not come to such acts of brutality without guidance.

No, Lynn Paddock got her ideas on how to discipline her children from the web site and books of an evangelical minister and his wife that advocate something that certainly sounds like child abuse.

From the Raleigh News & Observer:

Paddock -- a Johnston County mother accused of murdering Sean, her 4-year-old adopted son, and beating two other adopted children -- surfed the Internet, said her attorney, Michael Reece. She found literature by an evangelical minister and his wife who recommended using plumbing supply lines to spank misbehaving children.

Paddock ordered Michael and Debi Pearl's books and started spanking her adopted children as suggested. After Sean, the youngest of Paddock's six adopted children, died last month, his older sister and brother told investigators about Paddock's spankings.

Sean's 9-year-old brother was beaten so badly he limped, a prosecutor said. Bruises marred Sean's backside, too, doctors found.

Sean died after being wrapped so tightly in blankets he suffocated. That, too, was a form of punishment, Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell said.

The Pearls' advice from their Web site: A swift whack with the plastic tubing would sting but not bruise. Give 10 licks at a time, more if the child resists. Be careful about using it in front of others -- even at church; nosy neighbors might call social workers. Save hands for nurturing, not disciplining. Heed the warning, taken from Proverbs in the Old Testament, that sparing the rod will spoil the child.

The Pearls' website No GreaterJoy.org does indeed condone the "advice" such as that above, which most sane people would consider not only outright child abuse, but an acknowledgement that is could invite investigation if used "in front of others." Of "¼ inch supply line" they state, "It's a real attention-getter."

I am no opponent of corporal punishment. I got spankings as a kid when I deserved them, I earned every one, and avoided a few I deserved. But there is no "fine line" between discipline and beatings worse than we'd allow any al Qaeda POW to suffer.

Michael and Debi Pearl seem to be advocates of outright child abuse, calling on parents to hit children with PVC pipe no less than ten times, and "more if the child resists", as the News & Observer reports.

The Pearls have a Contact page on their web site. I suggest you use it, and politely tell them you do not condone the beating of children with construction products.

Better yet, contact:

Mr. Davis is up for re-election in the Williamson County Republican Primary Election for the 21st District on May 2, 2006. While Mr. Pearl is running unopposed in the primary, I'm sure that his electorate would like to know why the Pearls have been allowed to sell more than 400,00 copies of a book advocating what sounds like child abuse under his very nose.

Also contact the newsroom at the Nashville Tennessean , at newstips@tennessean.com and ask them why this has been allowed to go on in Williamson County.

"Suffer the little children," no more.

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 11:58 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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We went to my hometown today to meet the newest member of my family today, and I was tickled at not only how cute he was, but how quickly Phin adapted to the "Mr. Mom" role as the new mom recovered from her ordeal. He looked like he'd been raising kids all his life. Color me impressed.

We also found out that my new nephew willl only be the newest baby in the family for about seven months. My other brother and his wife revealed tonight they are expecting in early October.

It's all part of a Rovian plot, of course.

We don't only out-think liberals, we out-breed them as well.

That's strategery, baby.

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 11:04 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Is someone is taking tomorrow night's Duke-Carolina basketball game just a bit too seriously?

Shocked UNC students watched in disbelief around noon Friday as an SUV plowed through a crowd at The Pit, the central gathering place, injuring at least two students.

Several students said the driver was young and wearing a dark suit and tie and they said he intentionally swerved to hit people.

The driver fled but was arrested soon after by Chapel Hill Police. His name was not immediately available.

Classes had just changed and The Pit was crowded. Witnesses said the SUV was going at least 40 miles per hour as it passed Lenoir Dining Hall. The condition of those injured was not immediately available.

All kidding about the intense Duke-Carolina rivalry aside, I have it on expert authority that the SUV was a rental vehicle picked up last night from a central North Carolina rental car company. If it was picked up for use as a weapon, atttepted murder charges would seem plausible.

Update: The 23-year-old driver has been identified as Mohammed Reza Taheriazar, which the News and Observer identifies as being a UNC-Chapel Hill student as late as last year.

In what could be an unrelated event, the Daily Tar Heel joined the Cartoon Wars, running this editorial cartoon February 9:

None of the staff of the Daily Tar Heel were among the injured, however, and a motive had not been announced.

Update 2:Terrorism confirmed

ABC11:

The driver of an SUV that plowed into a group of pedestrians at UNC-Chapel Hill on Friday told police it was retribution for the treatment of Muslims around the world, according to ABC News.

It appears to be an isolated incident. Also, the Duke-Carolina game is Saturday night, not tonight.

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 02:25 PM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
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