“I just don’t think it’s necessary to hit your children,” my friend said with a frown. She picked up another fry and reached for the ketchup packet. “Like, why would you want to hurt your own child?”

I stopped chewing for a second to answer, “It’s a cultural thing. It’s not a big deal. Sometimes you just need to instill some discipline.” I spoke calmly, but my mind was racing with frustration and, oddly, anger. She just didn’t get it.

What had started as a light-hearted conversation had now spun into a full-blown debate. I remember thinking, “Don’t tell me what’s right or wrong! You don’t get to dictate how people raise their children!”

I heard myself surprisingly defend corporal punishment, stubbornly committed to the hill I’d chosen to die on. Somewhere along the way, though, my argum

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