The author begins with stories of rugged leather whips being used by strong men in institutional buildings against children, along the lines of "adults beat children with impunity and often with relish" and leaving the children with blistering welts on their bodies, after the leather-whip session was over...

... and that is her compelling argument for why, uh, no parent should ever spank?

Um, hello?

Sorry, but this is 2017, and I expect data and research to back up arguments, not a bunch of dramatic, emotional narrative that, for all I know, is trying to convince me that spit balls are atom bombs and pea shooters are assault rifles. And I dunno, maybe in important ways they are? Without data, though, I will never know. 

Give me data and science please, early in your article, to appeal to thinking brains rather than to bleeding hearts.