Every parent(s) has had an experience where their child becomes ruthless and acts disorderly. There are times when the child behaves this way to get his parents' attention or because he "feels like it" and wants to be in control. For example, let's say you, the parent, decide to go to Wal-Mart with your child. While at Wal-Mart, your child comes across a toy that he really wants. You already know that you won't have enough money to buy the toy, so you find a way to explain it to him/her in a way that he/she can understand. Also promise your child that you will buy it another time so that he does not cry. Suddenly, your child becomes the "angel" of hell and starts crying, screaming and grabbing other toys from the shelf to throw them on the floor and make a mess. Other customers start staring at you and start shaking their heads. You do your best to calm your child, but he/she won't stop crying until he/she gets what he/she wants. STOP!! Here the scenario ends. What would you do, as a parent, in this situation? Would you spoil your child and buy him that toy after he completely embarrassed you and became destructive? Or would you spank your child in the backside to show him who is in control and not buy the toy? The main question here is: to spank or not to spank? This leads to an editorial written by Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts Jr., author of “Spare the Rods, Spoil the Parenting.” In this essay, Pitts uses rhetorical tactics in his article to present his views on corporal punishment. The genre of this editorial is an op-ed piece (opinionated editorial). Pitts persuasively tries to get his audience, who are parents, to understand that disciplining a child is... at the center of the paper... a personal anecdote to appeal more to his audience because it is simple to tell he was passionate about this subject. The only drawback of the author's essay is that he did not include much about pathos in his writings. This essay was more of an ethical and logical review and much less emotional. Even though his editorial is opinion based, his essay was effective because it was supported by Dr. Baumrind's studies, which explores his logical proof to his readers. Additionally, Pitt's personal touch adds interest to his writing. He wants to make sure his audience agrees with and understands his argument and his position on corporal punishment. Works Cited Pitts, Jr., Leonard. “Spare the rod, ruin parenting.” Miami Herald September 2001. Rpt. in TheAllyn & Bacon's Writing Guide. John D. Ramage, John C. Bean, and June Johnson.5th ed. New York: Longman, 2009. 247-248. Press.