Bullies, Public Nudity, and Conformity

I agree with you Cyndi. Responsibility begins and ends with the parents of these children. Children learn from their role models and the number one role model is the parents. A huge problem today with parents is that many of them let the TV and video games babysit their children; not a very good role model even if all TV and games were rated "G". Children need stable, loving parents willing to engage them; not to tell them to beat someone up if they get punched. There is nothing wrong with defending oneself however the way many people think about defending is that they have to beat the other into a pulp. There are many effective tactics and martial arts that rely solely on defensive tactics without ever hitting or kicking. Too often I think parents live through their children and lead them to do what the parent feels; this is not right. Just because we feel like hitting or beating someone does not mean it's right to do so for any reason. We need better morals in our parents first.

Are you at all ignorant to the news? The zero tolerance policy can be out of line. It should be zero tolerance if a teacher catches a kid with a bag of illigal substances, or with a bottle where you can see the word 'Vodka' on it. Not if a kid runs up to a teacher telling him she saw a kid with a bag of dried leaves, or if a teacher sees a drowsy kid with a plastic unmarked bottle. It can go way too far, I do NOT agree with it. I go with deliberation before action. As for the bullying, if it were me, if I were in danger, I'd show the bully off and walk to the nearest authority. And if it were a threat, it's next time I see a teacher. Easy and simple.

Cyndi, this is a great article. I can only hope that one day, we'll be a more civilized people but I'm not counting on it. I completely agree with your assessment of the shock we feel when someone behaves in an totally inappropriate manner. When my children were involved, I lost all my zen mentality and wanted to beat the person who hurt them to a pulp. (This never happened, but it's how I felt.) At the very least, middle school should have a MANDATORY expulsion policy for any child who touches another in a way that causes pain. This might cause parents to wake up to the fact that their kids is a bully and it won't be tolerated.