Bullying: Plain and Simple

Wisconsin has been a political hotbed of late.  Hopefully after today's election and the passing of Governor Walker's "budget repair bill" things will calm down.

Bullying is a hot topic just now and there's been a lot of it from both sides of the political fence.  I wonder if perhaps we're sending a message to our children that it's okay to poke fun at others, point out their shortcomings, bring up mistakes from their past, and demean others, all in the name of a believe that we are right.  If someone did these things to our children, we'd be up in arms and complaining to anyone who would listen.  We'd demand that our child be protected and that the bully be punished.

 I saw a multitude of posts a couple of days ago poking fun at President Obama.  The comments ranged from jabs about his intelligence, the color of his skin,  his ears, and even the size of his wife's bottom.  It's one thing to dislike his politics but it's another to attack his appearance.  In my eyes, it's no different than laughing at a child because he has a physical or mental disability.  Sure, you can say "I was only joking!" or "It was all in fun!"  Well, there's nothing funny about laughing at someone's physical features or intelligence.

Think about what you say in front of your children.  Are you teaching them to make fun of others based on appearance at the same time that you are telling them that it's not okay for others to bully THEM?  That's hypocrisy at its finest.

So Many Contradictions

I first must admit my ignorance.  I don't understand how a person can profess to be a Christian and then prove themselves otherwise. How does a person find comfort in the words of the Bible and then spew hatred towards others?   How does one attend church on Sunday, hear the word of God and then come home and seek fault in others? I call that hypocrisy and I don't want any part of it.  In my mind, if you are going to wear your religion on your sleeve, with a "holier than thou" attitude,  you've got to walk the walk and talk the talk, and not just when it is convenient to do so.  I don't hide behind the church or the Bible. I don't believe it's realistic to blame my actions on "Satan" or to blame my error on being a "sinner."  Instead, I believe I have to take responsibility for my words and actions.  I can be stupid, ignorant, mouthy, insensitive and foolish, and I have only myself to blame. I can be kind, caring, empathetic, generous and loving, and I have only myself to credit.  Our words and actions are our own.  No one forces us to say or do anything.  Words cannot be unsaid nor actions undone.   It is too easy to make excuses for our behavior and even easier to believe we are right.  Sometimes, we are so determined to be right that we don't recognize that we are not.  I didn't write this blog to change anyone's mind, nor to promote myself.  This topic consumes me some days and I needed to put it on "paper."   I welcome any viewpoints. :o)

I've pasted two of my favorite passages below. The words provide an excellent addition to one's moral compass.

The first is by Arthur Dobrin.


A Humanist Code of Ethics:

Being is more important than having.
Never promote yourself at another's expense.
Hold life sacred; treat it with reverence.
Allow each person the dignity of his or her labor.
Open your home to the wayfarer.
Be ready to receive your deepest dreams;
sometimes they are the speech of unblighted conscience.
Always make restitutions to the ones you have harmed.
Never think less of yourself than you are.
Never think that you are more than another.


The following creed is by Robert Ingersol.


My creed:
To love justice, to long for right,
to love mercy,
to pity the suffering, to assist the weak,
to forget wrongs and remember benefits,
to love the truth, to be sincere,
to utter honest words, to love liberty,
to wage relentless war
against slavery in all its forms,
to love family and friend,
to make a happy home,
to love the beautiful in art, in nature,
to cultivate the mind,
to be familiar with the mighty thoughts
that genius has expressed,
the noble deeds of all the world;
to cultivate courage and cheerfulness,
to make others happy,
to fill life with the splendor of generous acts,
the warmth of loving words;
to discard error, to destroy prejudice,
to receive new truths with gladness,
to cultivate hope,
to see the calm beyond the storm,
the dawn beyond the night,
to do the best that can be done
and then be resigned.
This is the religion of reason,
the creed of science.
This satisfies the brain and the heart.