Boston Globe Bullying Editorial

Boston Globe Bullying Editorial

The Globe's opposition to bullying makes an erroneous assumption which
ensures a flawed conclusion. (Boston GLOBE EDITORIAL, "Standing up to bullies,"
April 26, 2007)
Recognizing that "some children get picked on for being smart" the Globe
fails to recognize that adults get picked on for the same reason when exposing
illogical policies and corrupt actions by politicians, police and journalists.
Do "schools, churches, parents, coaches, clubs, friends, and others who
rise up and say bullying is unacceptable" extend to condemning psychiatric
bullies, teacher bullies, police bullies, elected official bullies, etc? Giving
government and psychiatric bullies a pass fails "to ensure that fear is not a
barrier to
participating in everyday life." This is especially important under a one-party
government as in Massachusetts.
Does the Olweus approach include intervening when the bully is a teacher, a
police officer, a psychiatrist or a politician? This is another case of do as we
say but ignore what we do. Young people are aware of the hypocrisy of the adult
world at least as much as some of the smart kids years ago when there was no
internet or IM.
This perspective on bullying is one more business created by the
psychiatric industry, a continuing boondoggle for the drug companies to promote
more illnesses.

Roy Bercaw, Editor ENOUGH ROOM

Boston GLOBE EDITORIAL
Standing up to bullies
April 26, 2007

MANY FACTORS led to the tragic school shootings at Columbine and Virginia Tech.
But part of the poisonous mix was bullying, which can be a risk factor for
violence in young people. The nation is left to wonder what would have happened
if someone had intervened. Short-circuiting bullying is a big job that demands
more respect and restraint from children and adults. But it's also a vital job.

Tales of bullying are told time and again. There are youngsters who put up with
it. Maybe they outgrow the abuse. Maybe they don't. Or there's the story about
the bullied victim who throws an undreamed-of punch and hits the bully hard
enough to make this point: I can be more violent than you are. And there are the
kids who just watch, maintaining a corrosive code of silence.
[...]