If you are using the south to try to win your argument then you basically admitted defeat (and I live in the south now)The country was divided on this case...
Plenty of folks in the south have no issue with what AP did...
Disciplining your child is not child abuse...a court of law agreed with that in this case...
Disciplining your child the way AP did? It is CLEARLY abuse, argue how it is NOT abuse and then I will respond. Don't come up with some simple ass court decision to base your argument off of.
If you beat a woman or man with a tree branch like that it will be considered domestic violence.
A woman or man has multiple options to counter or respond...a 4 year old doesnt. Yet it's NOT abuse?