Bullying, etc.

I've been thinking a lot lately about what sort of world I am living in.  Not the world that I live in in my head.  The world I physically reside in.  The last elections made me incredibly sad.  And disappointed.  I'm saddened and disappointed with human beings.  Finger-pointing, name-calling, judgment, discrimination, intolerance, lying have become an unfortunate norm.  Bullying is at an all-time high.  Many would call it an epidemic.  Children (CHILDREN) are committing suicide because of bullying.  How did things get this far?

Look at the last elections.  It's no longer acceptable to have a positive campaign ad.  A politician must be hiding something if they aren't making negative campaign ads.  Close elections are being called voter fraud.  How can we expect children to treat each other with respect when adults, who are supposed to be role models, resort to finger-pointing and name-calling every opportunity they get?  They bully each other, bully the public, in order to get something they want.

And then parents cry about bullying... I'm not blaming parents all together.  I understand that some kids are mean.  However, I am willing to say that 95% of bullying children come from a household where respecting one another is not the norm.  Children aren't taught to respect each other.  They aren't taught to love each other.  It's a parents job to teach love and respect.  It is NOT the school's job, it is NOT your church's job, it is NOT daycare's job to teach these things.  Parents, it's YOUR job to teach YOUR children love and respect.

Read this article if you don't agree with me.  I commend the writer of that blog for taking a stand against those parents.

It's time for a change people.  And that change starts with you and me.  I challenge you this week to stay away from name calling (yes, even while driving).  Try loving each other.  Respecting one another.  Maybe we'll start a new epidemic.