United States - Free paddles for parental spanking

Two rival TV news clips about carpenter Joey Salvati of Pennsylvania, and his divinely inspired mission to make paddles and give them away to parents wishing to punish their offspring.

It was first reported in December 2002 that Joey, then 39, had received a message from God while he (Joey, not God) was in the shower. The message told him to "make wooden paddles for corporal punishment and give them to parents who need help disciplining their children".

He started manufacturing two-foot-long paddles and sending them out free to parents via his website. He attracted much media attention, as in these two 2-minute news items from rival Pittsburgh TV stations.

The first, "God Told Me To Create Paddles For Spanking Kids", was broadcast on WTAE-TV (ABC) on an unknown date.

The second clip, "New Kensington Man Gives Away Paddles To Spank Kids", aired on KDKA-TV (CBS) on 25 June 2007.

In both clips, Joey is interviewed in his workshop as he finishes off another batch of paddles. He comes across as surprisingly sane. There are also brief interviews with miscellaneous people, most of whom seem to disapprove. The second clip makes rather more of a meal out of various self-appointed anti-CP activists who purport to be "outraged" by Joey's activities. Since he is doing it out of charity and not for profit, and sends the paddles only to people who request them, they probably cannot do anything to stop him.

Joey's own son Bobby does not make an appearance here. In the 2002 news item linked above, Bobby (aged 15 at the time), pictured, had himself just been at the receiving end of his Dad's paddle and was quoted as saying that it had done him good.

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