Today I had the delightful experience of spending my afternoon at the Department of Motor Vehicles.  What should have taken, say, thirty minutes, took more than two hours.  My son, Christopher, had to take the test for his learner's permit.  As we sat waiting for our number to be called, I engaged an African-American woman sitting next to me in conversation.  She, too, had a child waiting to take the test. 

Our conversation meandered until she brought up "disrespectful youth" and pending legislation in Massachusetts that would make it illegal for parents to spank their children.  She was a no-nonsense mother with three adolescents and simply could not imagine what could possess someone to take legislation of this sort seriously. 

"That just won't fly down South," she said.  "What does the Bible say?  Spare the rod and spoil the child!"

She had given the matter a lot of thought and was full of opinions.

"I mean, what happens when junior doesn't get disciplined at home and then gets arrested?  Are the police going to give him 'time out'?  I don't think so."  She gave a snort of derision at the very thought of it.

"I know what I would do if I lived in a state with a crazy law like that," she continued, "When my kids misbehaved, I'd take them across state lines, give'em a good whippin' and then drive back home!"

Sometimes I think our legislators would do well to rub elbows with people in so-called "fly over country."