WHY IMPORTED DISCIPLINE? Explanation of the Story's Origin There is something about Domestic Discipline stories that makes me feel bad...sick inside. There are many genres of stories that I don't care for, and I simply avoid reading them. But this genre bothers me, even when I don't actively read the stories--just seeing them posted, knowing they're there. Aside from my personal objections to them on the basis of abuse and characterization issues, I felt there had to be something more, something that kept it nagging at my mind--when the "Delete" key just wasn't enough. And then it dawned on me. In most Domestic Discipline stories, one character attempts to modify the other's behavior somehow by inflicting the punishment on him. Now aside from my personal revulsion toward physical violence in the name of love, what really gets to me the most is that to me, achieving this behavior modification is a form of a death--making it a death story of sorts. Let me explain. I love the characters of Blair Sandburg and Jim Ellison. They are imperfect, at times maddening--like most people. But who they are is what I love. And part of who they are is how they behave, the decisions they make, and their priority systems. In a DD story, when the punished character finally admits defeat, through either words or tears, it means something has died. Something small, maybe, but some little part of that character's individual spirit has crumbled under the punishment. One can only imagine after several months, years even, of frequent punishment, how much of a change we would see in this character. A very major, noticeable change. Blair Sandburg or Jim Ellison, as we know and love them, would cease to exist at some point, and would be replaced by something created by the dominant character--something which no longer held the spirit, vibrance and tenacity of the original character. As Jim says in "Imported Discipline", you then would have a "Stepford Wife"--an automaton who obeys orders. Obedience is a nice trait--in a dog. In a human, I personally prefer some fire, some spirit, some diversity in behavior patterns. I don't want Blair to obey Jim, or Jim to obey Blair. I want them to love each other, respect each other, and continue to argue, disagree, piss each other off and battle wits--just like any two strong-willed adults in a close relationship would. What I don't want to see is one character's spirit broken until he *alters who he is* to avoid being physically hurt--no matter how laboriously the author illustrates that he's "asking for it"--that it's consensual. The result is still the same. The beatings are the first step toward the breaking of his spirit and the death of the character I love. What of the future if the punished man *doesn't* fall into line? A lifetime of being beaten for being himself? For doing something his lover doesn't approve of? I see the future for these punished characters as something very ugly and very barren indeed. So I wanted to find a way to express that, without posting on a list and starting a flame war. I feel something twist in my heart at these stories, and at what I can't help but believe that type of treatment would really do to someone like Blair. I couldn't bring myself to write about Jim hitting Blair--firstly, because I don't see it, and can't picture it well enough to write it convincingly; and secondly, because I want Jim and Blair together, and I don't believe that Blair would stay with a man who beat him, or tried to make him into something other than what he was through systematic punishments. Hence, "Imported Discipline" was born. The title is a little bit of levity--but also appropriate as the discipline comes from outside. Still, I think many of the issues are the same. This is not intended as a flame at any one author or story. It is a reflection of my feelings and opinions, to which I have as much right as the DD authors and readers have the right to theirs. I don't aspire to change anyone's mind, but I also find it difficult to remain silent on something I feel so strongly about.