I don't like Bullies. But I imagine bullies don't like me either. There is so much talk recently about Bullies and Bullying that I really don't know where to start. I don't think any of us really like Bullying. We speak that word although it has several different meanings. Have wars started because of one country Bullying another ? How do we interpret that word ?
I grew up in the Bronx, New York just a few blocks from Yankee Stadium. As a kid , we played in the streets. Also as a kid, we fought in the streets. We were kids in a middle class white, Jewish neighborhood. We had no idea what the word Bully even meant. We just figured it was some big guy going to beat the shit out of someone else smaller than him. OK, so I did know what it meant. But we didn't give a shit about it. It made us stronger and helped us fight better. The next time it happened, we would have another friend help to beat up the Bully...Guess what ????? The Bully stopped. End of subject........
Bullying, fighting, yelling, cursing, running, playing, etc. etc.....all things we experience growing up. In my opinion the problem lies here. 50 years ago things were different . We lived in a different world with different situations going on. We lived close to family. We lived in neighborhoods that were completely segregated. Italians in one area, Jews in another area, Blacks in another area and so on. I am not saying it was right or wrong, but that is just how it was. There were no Gays, no Lesbians, no drugs, no mixed marriages, no hate crimes, no living together, no nothing.
West Side Story was probably the only form of bullying we knew and that was because of two rival gangs on the streets of NY.
There was crime in NY everywhere especially on the subways. People were picked on and it almost was not safe to ride the train after dark.. But was it just crime or was it a bunch of bullies trying to harass innocent people ? So many questions and so few answers.
Recently Mitt Romney was accused of bullying some kids when he was younger. Our president also admitted to some type of bullying. Was that, or is that really bullying ? Kids will always fight and always call others names and do all this crap that is not socially correct. Why can't we have the balls to call it like it is. Shit, pretty soon it will be illegal to fart in public.
I am by no means a judge or the right person to say what is right or not. I do know that plain old fashioned violence with intent to harm is wrong and especially if it involves anything sexual. I also realize that we live in a different world today. Our kids and especially kids under 15 today have and are growing up under different conditions. They are used to their friends having two mothers, or their friends being from other countries, or their friends being a different color, or their friends speaking a different language. Bottom line is they take all this in their daily stride without giving it a second thought. They have grown up with this and it is completely normal for them....I look at it and think it is wonderful, and try to imagine what my childhood would have been like under those conditions.......Shit, who am I kidding ??????? I am still thinking about a black and white television with rabbit ears.
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