In some cultures "community parenting" is a real thing. And there's definitely something to be said for the older generation putting the youth in their place, as many times as is necessary, verbally.
Having said that, if some man ever tried to put his hands on my child, I'b beat him to within an inch of his life. And I'd pray there'd be someone else around to stop me before I went too far. I am viciously protective over my family.
I'm absolutely okay with giving your kid a smack on the ass when necessary. It really does work as a teaching tool, provided you take that opportunity to teach. Far too many parents just hit their children because they are not mentally or emotionally capable of "dealing with them". A child needs to know why he got the smack on the ass in the first place. The opportunity to teach in that moment is very important, both verbally and non-verbally. It's also necessary to reinforce to the child that you do love them and wish for them to become a strong human being as they grow up, and that's why you disciplined them. Hitting your children, and not teaching them a better way of behaving, and then not also showing them that you still love them, is really a recipe for creating a monster that cycles for generations to come.
Funny anecdote. Sort of off-topic but it goes directly to the differences in parenting now versus a generation or two ago. When I was a kid, my friend wanted to get an earring. When his dad found out, he asked him if he also wanted to get a dress for his next birthday. He was partially joking, and it was indicative of the times as well. If a parent were to say that today, and social media found out, and then it went viral, that parent would be crucified. The civil rights crusaders and social justice warriors would have a field day with that man's life. I'm sure some idiot official somewhere may even find a way to charge that dad with a hate crime. We live in a culture of extremes now and I attribute almost all of it to social media and a sense of entitlement. We live in a culture where (some of) those that fought for their civil rights are now actively seeking to silence the voice of anyone who now opposes them. I'm all for people fighting for their beliefs, and I'm all for people being able to have the same basic rights and freedoms as the person they stand next to, regardless of who or what they are, but when you actively try to silence the beliefs of those that disagree with you, you are now the civil rights violator. Disagree with my ideals, fine. But when you try and keep me from freely thinking and speaking, I promise I will, by any and all means necessary, rebel against you.