Now we’re getting things done!*DISCLAIMER*
This post will offend some people merely on the basis of it’s subject matter. Others will be offended because of the perceived glibness of my tone. Still others will be offended because that’s how they feel when they wake up in the morning. If you are offended, please go here and start a petition.
Received a simple request recently.
Sign a petition to get Anti-Bullying legislation passed in my home state.
The petition was generated by a mother in mourning.
Her daughter committed suicide because she was bullied in school.
According to the petition she was killed by bullying.
I don’t have first hand knowledge on this subject.
But it seems that bullying would be
…an extremely inefficient way to kill something.
It’s the reason hunters shoot at quail,
…instead of yelling, “You ugly bird!”
But I’ll put that aside.
Let’s assume there is such a thing as lethal levels of bullying.
I’m genuinely interested in eradicating this evil…
…so I sign a petition…
And that’s it?!!!!
I wrote my name on a list…
…and satisfied all moral obligations!!!!??
Congratulations, John!
You’re one of the good guys!
Because once these laws are enacted,
…bullying will cease to exist.
That’s what happened with murder.
…and burglary
…and assault
…and drug abuse
…and discrimination
I’m helping build a Utopian world,
where children in the process of shoving other children into lockers,
stop and think,
“Wait! I’m breaking a State law! I will cease this action immediately!”
If laws and petitions had any affect,
I’m inclined to sign a petition
requiring students to memorize the golden rule.
“Treat others how you want to be treated yourself.”
But wait!
Scratch that!
Public school is no place for religion.
Public school is a place for science!
Open your text books, kids.
You’re all sacks of chemicals.
Risen from nothing.
Some sacks are fitter than others.
Natural selection weeds out the weak
…through bullying!
You bullies are playing your evolutionary part.
Making sure the strongest survive.
…
So in a whirl of self-righteous activism,
I suggest that parents read the New Testament to children.
Kids who understand that they are loved by the maker of the Universe,
…will never die from bullying.
5 Responses
I love that we have a name that we use to label and shame *those people* who call people names.
I can understand that there is a level of sarcasm. It is a very American trait. But you are not thinking about the children who go through that EVERY DAY of their lives. You said you were bullied many times, probably your many times can be stated as sometimes, compared to every single day that other kids are being bullied. There are children that are being bullied and have a strong faith, considering their young age, or because of their young age their faith is strong. But that does not change the fact that bulling still hurts, very much. The fact that they know that God loves them may prevent them from taking their lives, but that does not stop the pain. There are children that are loved at home and probably by their neighbors and church family, but they are exposed to bullies at school where they spen so many hours a day, five days of the week, where their parents and pastors are not present.
Have you spent time with a child that is being bullied? Do you know the pain they experience every day? How they go to bed thinking of the next day? How they pray for a change and that prayer is not answered? How they may be so forgiving of the bullies that hurt them every day, and they continue to forgive them because they know that is the Christian thing to do? Still, that does not stop the pain, the hurt they have inside.
You may want to go on with sarcasm, and try to make some people uncomfortable, that is ok. Bulling is NOT ok, and someone has to let bullies know that what they do is not ok.
I call it “slacktivism.”
Thanks for the comment. Agree completely on helping with resilience. I was ‘bullied’ many times at school for many different reasons. Just thought that was part of childhood. Never occurred to me that a bully should be given the power to shape my self esteem.
Oddly this does not offend me and I was prepared to be so. Darn. I need to find my outrage elsewhere I suppose. I, too, think we are going about the bullying thing wrong. We need to make kids more resilient and let them fight back (sometimes that ensures the bully leaves you alone). And yes, we need to teach them that their life is important, bought and paid for, and that nothing is impossible because Who is in them is around than anything. And teen years are so fleeting and everyone should grow up and wish they could be a teen again.