Not all unkindness is bullying...

Below text is shared from a School Principal and United Black Belt and an informative linked post.

“When we fail to distinguish between bullying and ordinary meanness, we trivialize the very serious cases of peer abuse,” Eileen Kennedy-Moore wrote in an article in Psychology Today. “Also, calling every act of meanness bullying sends an unhealthy message: It says to kids, ‘You’re fragile. You can’t handle it if anyone is even slightly unkind to you.’ ”

Bullying does happen but students being unkind and not thinking before they act happens more frequently.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2018/08/16/not-all-unkindness-is-bullying-heres-why-we-need-to-teach-kids-to-differentiate/?utm_term=.e26cff629679

Inspiration! When bullying doesn't get you down..

This article was passed onto me from my facebook page about a great individual who overcame bullying issues as well as successfully battled a weight problem!

http://articles.philly.com/2012-06-23/sports/32382878_1_online-classes-easy-target-school-year

Bullied kids are often intially targeted because of their appearance to others. While I absolutely do not condone putting someone down because they struggle with weight, I fully encourage people who struggle with weight problems to find a way (almost ANY way) to get themselves to  a healthy weight. 

My hope is that people find a way to place positive pressure for change rather than take the mean route of bullying...

Stupid is as stupid does....

If you try to apply blanket sets of rules to deal with a dynamic issue like what happens with bullying - - - well, you're going to mess things up!  Here's yet another great example of how a school district sends the WRONG message to our children about dealing with bullying...

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/27/teen-says-was-punished-for-trying-to-stop-bullying-girl-with-mental/?test=latestnews

I find it to be plain-old STUPID how school systems think that they can provide rigid rules and regulations that will automatically fix every situation that involves bullying.  Again - STUPID!!!! You'd think that the school board who comes up with these rules would have enough good common sense and acumen to realize that you CAN'T successfully apply strict rules and procedures to a inherently dynamic problem!

This is NOT the way to bring attention to Bullying...

I can't think of a WORSE way to bring attention to the subject of bullying... I do not like his tactics in the least bit when it came to discussing his views of how others use the Bible for their varied agendas.

http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/anti-bullying-speaker-curses-mocks-christian-teens.html

Bullying is not simply a gay/straight issue. It's not just a class issue of those who have/have-not.There's more to it than divisions between the more attractive versus less attractive. The core problem is INTOLLERANCE - PERIOD.  As far as I'm concerned - Dan Savage was just as INTOLLERANT of those Christian teen's beliefs and INTOLLERANT of how they choose to worship, INTOLLERANT of what they choose to expose themselves to.

That said, I believe that our country affords us every opportunity and right to be intollerant - to a point... The point where those rights end is where someone else's rights are violated.  Did Dan Savage infringe on someone else's rights?  Clearly NOT.  This guy clearly needs to take a couple of steps back, regain some focus and forge upward with a positive message. 

My blog readers should know that I believe in God... how I conduct my relationship with my maker is personal and I encourage you to seek a relationship of your own. Furthermore, I believe that the Bible is one of the greatest books for mankind to use as a tool to futher the cultural heightening of man and a guide to a Godly path. Sadly; I believe it has sections that can be interpreted by man to be intollerant of others and in my life, I choose to discard what clearly no longer fits into our society and our spiritual/cultural growth.

- - FOLLOWUP - -

About 10 minutes after this post, I ran across a follow up post where the GLBT community is speaking out against Dan Savage's comments and actions.  I'm happy to see that those who already know about the challenges dealing with diversity are willing to speakout against their own when the wrong message is being sent out from those folks!

http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/gay-conservatives-condemn-dan-savages-christian-bullying.html

Adults (Teachers) Who Bully Children

I have to admit that I'm conflicted about how I feel about this specific incident.

If I was accused of something that I had not done, I'd be very upset to be getting tried in the court of public opinion before getting my day in court. Even if the teacher is found innocent of these charges, her career has been placed in the balance. Being a teacher, I identify with the belief that most teachers do not go into the teaching profession looking for a big paycheck - they teach because it's their passion. And, teachers of special needs children are exceptionally passionate about the work that they do.  So, it would be a serious loss if these charges ended up incorrect and a dedicated educator suffers. If it's proved that the teacher lost her ability to work with that child, the she should immediately suffer the fullest consequences.

On the other hand; if I was the parent of a special needs child and I witnessed my child being bullied by an ADULT!? (man or woman) , then I wouldn't be capturing video of their actions. The video captured would be on the dashcam of a police cruiser with me getting arrested after delivering a really, really good old fashioned ass-kicking to the adult(s) who made a serious error in judgement to bully my kid!

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/26/father-autistic-boy-allegedly-bullied-by-teacher-demands-answers/

A Newspaper (Sioux City Journal) Encourages Activism Agains Bullying

I find it deeply saddening that it took a tragic loss to wake a whole city up to the painful reality of bullying.....
BUT! I find it hopeful and courageous that the Sioux City Journal has today devoted itself to fight against bullying by it's front page post and it's website's informative articles.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/22/iowa-paper-devotes-front-page-to-fighting-bullying-596408376/?test=latestnews

School Systems with Assinine Policies....

Chalk this up as MORE STUPID CRAP that schools do to mess our kid's lives up sending them the wrong message.

If MY kid was DEFENDING THEMSELF from NOT 1 but 2 BULLIES (My step-son Bryson had this happen in 2nd grade - the other boys got into trouble.) and the school got disciplined MY child... there'd not only be lawsuits for teachers who were neglectful at caring for my child, suits to the administration for demonstrating incompetence because the did not seriously address the issue when it was brought to their attention, and plenty of lawsuit action on the entire damned school board for creating these assinine blanket-policies that cannot hope to be successfully applied to dynamic situations like bullying in the first place!

Furthermore; if my child was being beat-up, and the message that he/she got from the adults in that school is - DON'T DO ANYTHING?!? I'd show up one day and play the "bully" role on some of those teachers giving them a beating like my child got...here's betting that they'd change their mind about school policies it was happening to them!

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/19/colorado-boy-says-was-suspended-for-standing-up-to-bully-who-was-attacking-him/?test=latestnews