Dear Editor:

I agree that bullying or any form of abuse is not acceptable behaviour. Do unto others after all. However, I completely disagree that there needs to be a law
in this regard.

We are only a handful of these ridiculous laws away from becoming a  police state. These sorts of intrusive laws only allow more interference into our daily lives.

Think about it, you can’t drink raw milk or butcher your own meat, even if you raise these animals yourself.

Now, an anti-abuse or anti-bullying law could evolve into having your child taken away. I submit that these acts derive from the home, being a copycat, and fed by the mainstream television/Internet.

For those of you who feel there is a need to pass a law in order to treat each other with respect, let’s put some teeth in it. Let’s publish the photos of the perpetrator, and his/her parents for all to see. Maybe the shame of it all will install some virtue into parenting again. Don’t sweep it under the carpet.

Let’s face it, this bullying phenomena is not new. No matter what your age is now, if you went to school, chances are pretty high that you were bullied one time or another. This is not to condone these actions, but why a law now? Weren’t previous victims worthy of a saviour?

The computer age has created a different bully, and again, proper parental supervision would be appropriate.

A deterrent such as expulsion serves no purpose to me, and I would be interested to hear the rationale behind this. It does not address the root of the issue.

A bully is a non-accepting type of person, they pick on someone who is different, or better than them. By separating the two completely, that is all you have gained, separation. Do we not agree that the bully must learn to deal with the fact that people are different, and that, yes, some of them may be better, stronger, faster, and smarter than the bully?

The bully needs to realize no one should be punished for being different. At the same time, the bully needs to realize that he/she  too has positive attributes, and they should be encouraged.

Each act of aggression will undoubtedly have different parameters. Who was the instigator? Sometimes the one who gets caught is the one acting in self-defence.

A law only undermines the authority of the teachers and principals that parents entrust to keep the schools safe.

Surely, our educators have the common sense and preparedness to deal with this. However, let’s put the onus squarely on the shoulders of the ones responsible for raising children with a sound mind and a kind heart.

Are you up for it, mom and dad?

Kevin Inglehart,
Lynden