Is spanking okay?

This is my response to a poll about corporal punishment on the "Sodahead" website.

It is not okay to beat a child. It is not okay to use an object. But sometimes an open hand on the booty is what is needed. One does not have to hit at all hard to make the point. I can count on one hand the number of times I spanked my son. One time he ran out into a busy parking lot. The other times he had been warned to stop doing something either potentially dangerous or very annoying and continued to do so. Again, hard spanking, beating, or using objects is not necessary, but a firm swat on the backside is sometimes the most effective method of discipline when a child is misbehaving.