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Sunday, May 15, 2011

Not The Wild Wild West

The latest scandal in the realm of bullies, victims, and those who hate the whole process happened recently in Maryland.  A mother who was sick of seeing her young son bullied challenged the neighborhood bully, with his gang in tow, to fight her son on his front lawn.  Someone captured this with a cell phone cam, and the mother can be heard exhorting her son to stand up and fight the bully (even while he's asking Mom to please help him), and threatening the bully with what he'll face if he doesn't stop screwing with her son.

Now guys, we all know it's not easy to take the higher road.  We'd all rather be like Rambo in the original "First Blood," and just take down everyone who messes with us, even if it's a whole town.  We'd all rather be like the little kid in "A Christmas Story" and go off on the bully when he least expects it, and leave him crying and bleeding like he deserves.

Only problem is, we don't live in a movie.  We also don't live in a comic book, or in the Old West, or in prison.  We do not live in a "survival of the fittest" state of nature.  We live in a civilized society with laws.  And the gangsters out there know this, so the minute we try to lay the smackdown on them, they will play victim, and they will probably win, too!

Most parents don't want their children to be victims.  But if a parent gets involved that much, knowing full well that his or her is not violent, and not predisposed to go for the jugular (unlike bullies, who have no conscience), it's his or her fault if her child gets hurt.  You don't send soldiers to the front lines with no weapons, no tactics, and no training.  Why would you send your child into a fight if he or she can't handle himself?  And more importantly, how does that make you any better than the bullies' parents, who have been letting him or her get away with that crap since birth?

I know a few parents who actually teach their children self-defense.  It's not a nice thought to imagine that parents are telling kids how to fight, because we all know that this is what Mommy Gangster (and Daddy Gangster, if he's still around) have been tolerating from or encouraging from Baby Gangster.  Only problem is, if they don't know how to fight at all, they really will get hurt, even if a parent doesn't encourage it.  So until the Gangster family takes responsibility for their actions, children unfortunately have to be taught to defend themselves.

If only our friends, the school administrators, would really follow through on anti-bullying programs, this would not be necessary.  Instead of punishing both parties, and chiding them for not relying on the system (while simultaneously proving that the system doesn't work), how about (a) just punishing the bullies; and (b) following through to prevent retaliation; and (c) holding parents responsible for what Baby Gangster does when he's OFF school property!  Instead of worrying only about keeping students quiet and orderly, they need to worry about "solving" these problem children!

Just for the record, I don't think violence against violence is the smartest way to solve problems.  Many children don't know this, but colleges not only see their academic transcripts, but sometimes they also ask to see their disciplinary records.  That's right, kids, the admissions office could decide that actually don't want too many drunks and troublemakers on their campus, and reject kids who can't control themselves.  Sometimes keeping your reputation clean is more important than being a tough guy.  Like I said, we don't live in a comic book, and Wolverine didn't go to college.

Nevertheless, if your child is faced with a bully who does more than taunt, shout, and shove, he or she has to be ready for it.  We all know school administrations don't care "who started it," and will NEVER be motivated to punish bullying no matter HOW many laws or rules are enacted unless they face consequences for their own negligence.  I don't mean beat your chest and act like your tough and bad ass -- that's what the bullies do, and we're not them.  Just protect yourself, and hold them off until someone with a brain arrives and gives Baby Gangster what he deserves.

Comment below!

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Advice Needed

Hey all --

Usually I'm the one dispensing opinions and insight.  However, there is something I have yet to figure out, and I ask you, the readers, to throw me a bone.

Should I be taking this little shindig to WordPress?  While I seem to have grown some core supporters, I need to make it even better.  Someone I recently spoke to, who may or may not be a reader of this blog, suggested that WordPress is considered more prestigious than this latest Google acquisition.  My recent research tells me that advertising is still available, just in a slightly different format.

Bottom line, I'd like to increase my readership.  As much as I enjoy the "likes" and comments from my true fans, I'd like to be able to reach even more people out there.  Namely, men and boys who require motivation, like the description above states.

Anyone else have words of wisdom?  I'm all ears.  Also, as my father once told me, "The only stupid question is the one not asked."  For this reason, I have no shame in seeking advice.

Feel free to comment!

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Respect Matters.

My father had a saying from his Army days:  Even if you can't respect the man, you must respect the office he holds.

There are those who believe that respect can only be earned by passing tests or performing tasks -- otherwise they don't even have to acknowledge your existence.  Only if you pass their synthetic and artificial muster, can they consider you a colleague or a peer.

In some arenas, this is necessary -- the military, medicine, and customer service, to name some.  However, in families, it is cruel and abusive to judge family members by such artificial means.

Granted, we all have tasks to perform:  cleaning the floor, paying the bill, washing the clothes, and going to work, among others.  That's part of everyday life, but it's not all there is in everyday life.  If you judge your loved ones only by the tasks they perform, and not by the person they are, by their good characteristics, by their positive attributes, by the qualities about them that you respect, then you'll be found wanting.

Family cannot only be a task-oriented relationship.  You simply cannot reject those closest to you because they make mistakes, unless you yourself are incapable of making them.  And unless some of you out there are otherwordly beings who are truly superior to us mere mortals, you are just as capable of making mistakes as anyone else!  Therefore, you cannot judge, browbeat, upbraid, or belittle your loved ones when they screw up.

Don't get me wrong, there are times that people do need a kick in the behind -- if they get convicted of serious crimes, if they squander all their money, if they neglect their children.  But THAT'S IT.  You don't rip someone a new anal orifice because they forgot one item on the shopping list.  You don't question their true IQ if they make a wrong turn while driving.  You also don't wish them out of your life merely because they committed an erroneous act that can be corrected at no cost or effort.  If you do feel the aching, pulsating, uncontrollable need to criticize, hector, and condemn someone, have the good grace to proportion your criticism to the level of the error in question, and not make it worse.

Don't forget, ha ha, to comment.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Yes, They Can Be Punished!

Gentlemen, victory is ours once again!

When I say "ours," of course, I'm speaking of those who represent us, that being the leader of our country and those who show extreme levels of courage to protect us.  Regardless of what our friends, the conspiracy nut-jobs, have to say, it has now been accepted that Osama bin Laden IS DEAD.

What does this prove for us?  That those who would intimidate us through hateful speech and death-loving activities DON'T GET AWAY WITH IT THEIR WHOLE LIVES.  Eventually, THEY REALLY DO FACE CONSEQUENCES.  That THEY DON'T OWN THIS WORLD, AND THEY DON'T GET TO HAVE THEIR WAY WITH THE REST OF US.

Let this be a lesson to the mini-gangsters and misguided rejects that espoused his hateful ways -- no matter how much you lionize this King of Fools, no matter how badly you'll try to avenge him, and no matter what you try to do to this country, you will, REPEAT, WILL, face consequences for your actions.  In fact, because our country knows you're going to try to get more bloodthirsty with us, we've already stepped up efforts to catch you in the act and knock you out!

And what does this mean for the rest of us who feel terrorized by more domestic fanatics?  DON'T be.  They are not gods, they are not supermen/superwomen, they are not above you.  They may have gotten away with their own terrorist activities for most of their lives (because too many people wanted to appease them, just like the 'Sama Mama over there), but that is NOT a guarantee that it continues.  People terrorize others because they've been granted permission to do so -- but THAT PERMISSION IS NOT A LIFETIME FREE PASS!  It can be withdrawn, revoked, and invalidated, and they CAN face their just desserts as a result!

As a personal aside, someone I know quite well recently tried to intimidate me against continuing this blog.  This individual did not try to respectfully disagree with the merits of my posts with me, but instead raised his/her voice in a menacing fashion and told me that nobody wanted to listen to what I had to say, and that my opinion was worthless.  Rather than take it personally and get into a screaming match, I told this person that I had every right to my opinion, and that I had valid grounds to support it.  However, at the mere mention of anything that did not agree with this person's opinion, this person merely cut me off, because this is how he/she was permitted to behave for his/her entire life span.  Sad, isn't it?  I took the high road, though I didn't like the way that it felt.  Nonetheless, I can't be intimidated against posting -- what kind of an example would I be setting? 

Moreover, now that Captain Terrorist has faced his final consequences, I'm more emboldened than ever to continue this good work.  He didn't get away with it forever -- why should I think that my attacker will?  This blog, and its companion, will continue for as long as I see fit, I promise you!

DISCLAIMER:  The above opinion does not support murder or terrorism in any fashion.  Other than government-endorsed military activity and self-defense, homicide remains a crime.

Feel free to comment!