"When we cave into bullies, we will create a nation of cowards"
Alyson Brady
I saw this story on the television show Huckabee over Easter break and it stuck. Originally it was about the bullying of a young girl, and how there is a movement now called "Stand With Shay." When I went looking for the piece online, I came across another clip titled "When did America start Caving to Bullies?" The definition of bullying Huckabee described was when they "use force to silence or intimidate another." He said that mean people ruin the joy other people have. People who demonstrate intolerance are those that try to "shut down with force a viewpoint they do not want to hear." He made a claim that Americans are allowing these types of people to destroy the liberty of America. He goes on to talk about the instances where a majority group bullied an individual out of a company or an event because of their differing views. Phil Robinson, of the Duck Dynasty television show, was one such example. A&E banned him from the show after he made comments in an interview about what he believed in. It was not until fans protested that he was allowed back onto the show.
As Americans we have the right to take a stand for what we believe in. However, people are still unable to do so in America, the supposedly "land of the free." Most the time intimidation wins in decisions and actions instead of people doing the right thing. Huckabee stated that "when we cave in to bullies, we will create a nation of cowards."
This just goes to show that no matter at what age anyone can be bullied. No matter who you are, or how much money you have, anyone can be the victim of bullying. The question is then, how can we stop this never ending cycle? Do we start with our young impressionable children? If a majority group can attack one individual, an even bigger number should be able to stand up and support that individual as well. This applies to not only politics or major figureheads, but also in our day to day lives. In order to succeed in the big picture we all have to start small somewhere. How can we continue to live our lives desensitized to what we see in our day-to- day activities? The cycle must end at some point.
I agree that caving to bullies is wrong, and instead we should be getting help to decrease the issue and prevent it from happening. we need to protect the victims of bullying, but at the same time help those who have lost their way and became the bullies.
ReplyDeleteEvery time i think of ways to end bullying, I am never entirely sure if there is really a way to put an end to it. As sad as it sounds, it only takes one person to mess up something so perfect. Even if people did start teaching their kids at a young age that bullying is wrong, I'm sure we can all agree that not all parents are going to actually teach their kids this. Some just get lost in the idea of being accepted by other and sometimes in order to fit in, they think it's ok to put others down. I really like that quote about caving into bullies because that is exactly what is happening.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Victoria. There will never be any situation or solution that every single person will agree on. Everyone has different thoughts, beliefs and experiences that make them who they are. There isn't any excuse for bullying because everyone IS different. So why does a bully get to tell someone else that their differences are worse than any other person's.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that the cycle of bullying can ever truly be stopped which is an unfortunate reality that we now live with, but I do think that by creating better support systems for bullied children and becoming proactive we can greatly reduce the occurrences of bullying and make the situations better for the children involved.
ReplyDeleteJust like the last article with the policies for Tumblr, there has to be a line that is drawn between freedom of speech and bullying. There is a point where things go to far, and we need to teach people where that point is. Continuing to try and show others that they are right and you are gone will cause problems for everyone. Knowing when to stop will save many in the long run.
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