Parental discipline shouldn’t be undermined

I found Melvyn Davis’ article, ‘An acceptable level of discipline’, enlightening. It brought back many painful memories for me, as I was regularly beaten by my mother, often with a belt, and when my mum thought I was really in need of a beating, she did so with a wire hanger or a stick. I felt my parents’ approach to discipline was excessive, but I would never have dreamt of calling the police, as Creflo Dollar’s daughter did. And, whilst I do not subscribe with Rev Dollar’s approach to parental discipline in the instance cited in Melvyn’s piece, surely a father has a right to tell his child No, and to stop her from attending a party. Oftentimes, parents do know best – and can ascertain the consequences if they acquiesce to their child’s request. I remember as a teenager, I asked my mum to attend a party. She said No, I threw a strop, but the following morning I found out she was right to deny my wish. A major brawl broke out at the party, and a number of people ended up in hospital. We mustn’t undermine parental authority, but Black parents must find new ways to discipline their children. Samantha Fuller, London