I don't really have an opinion on commercial surrogacy except to say, perhaps, that we need to avoid the perils of going over the top on eugenics in general when it comes to the frontiers that technology is going to open for us in reproduction. We don't need to use science to start creating classes of ubermensch. I'm just throwing it out there, I know it's only sort of related, but I like to speculate on the future of humanity -- so shoot me. :dreamy

As to striking children, I tend to feel that a good dose of guilt and parental disappointment works better than hitting them. Just don't numb them to it by using them all the time, because it is a bit like spanking. Whack 'em too many times with the guilt, and they get bitter about it due to overexposure. If female and white, they'll bring home Rilla. If male, they'll find the female equivalent of Rilla, probably tattooed in all contravention of acceptability among WASPs. And then, oh the horror...

No, seriously, I am against striking children besides maybe a smack to the ass. But even then, I'm not sure about that.