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October 6th, 2010
10:26 AM ET
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Seriously!! As a parent and a high school teacher bullying is not acceptable behavior by any child, yet we make excuses and tolerate a public official to behave in such a way. At what point do we say a line has been crossed? There is a high expectation for our young adults, yet the one's who are to set examples (adults), fail miserably.
It is shameful that a public servant can bully a student and get away with it. Did I fall asleep and woke up in a fascist country. Where is Michigan... is this part of the USA?
JAC-New York
Bullies are damaged people, no doubt. So too are those who allow themselves to be bullied. The only difference is who needs a defender and who does not. Our local school has such a rabid anti-bully policy that kids get the message early and often that it is wrong. All that's changed is when the bullying takes place; now it is only done when there is no authority figure present.
So, we can talk about this subject all we like, but it won't actually change anything. We're shuffling timing and location, not behavior.
When we talk about deleting certain words from our dialect because of the power they have to cause harm, let's please add "retard" to that list. Like the other charged words that hurt, "retard" is equally disgraceful; however, the people with mental retardation on the receiving end of that slur often don't have their own words to protect themselves.
When children see political advertisements, slanted newscasts, and government leaders use bully tactics, they see it as an accepted practice, a useful tool to obtain your desires. Like education in public schools, social behavior of parents and other influential persons in a child's life are a great predictor of both dishonest and of bully behavior. The old adage, "Do as I say, not as I do" is dishonest and does not force the adults in a child's life to 'set an example' of positive social behavior. We are all responsible. ALL of us. Likewise, parental involvement and support for the teachers is necessary for a positive educational outcome. Have we become too lazy, Anderson???
Bullying is a huge issue, even moreso than when I was a kid. How can we solve the problem with bullying and teach our children not to bully, when we see it every day in politics; with candidates bashing each other and trying to discredit their opponents; when TV, radio and print media are making crushing remarks about the President of The United States, politicians, celebrities and even other media outlets? You can read opinion blogs and see a vast amount of bullying going on there, simply because people disagree with someone's opinion. Adults cannot teach children not to bully until they stop being bullies themselves.
how can we teach our children not to be bullies in our society, if we (USA) as a country are the biggest bully of all.