Originally Published May 29th, 2018.

What in the world are we teaching this next generation? It seems like the newest buzz word is Bully – and the most powerful character in the identity politics world is the victim.  We aren’t even talking about playground bullies, the kind of kid who was bigger and tougher and would pick on other kids until those kids banded together an whooped him. Today being a bully includes anyone who vocally challenges the status quo, or attempts to support a cause they believe in.  Physicality isn’t even required to be a bully, just the thought or idea and ensuing discourse is enough to bully someone.

We have gone so far In this Zero-Tolerance society that taking a stand for what you believe in or defending it can be tantamount to hate speech, and that just can't be tolerated. Any opposing view or idea that falls into this category or must be shut down, shouted down and derided as some type of offense to humanity.  Where did this idea that life should be free from any type of challenge or opposition or discomfort come from?  We came up with this idea of “Safe Spaces,” for children to play and grow up insulated from any challenges or opposition. Safe spaces in life are right up there with unicorns who defecate rainbow-colored ice cream.  Along with this, we created a new class of superheroes too, the Victim.

Is it possible that this ill-conceived idea of zero-tolerance, safe spaces, and a bully-free world is part of the problem?  Worse yet do attempts to legislate and federally fund these programs actually contribute to the problem? We already know that previous initiatives like this were epic failures.  The “Say no to Drugs” campaign actually increased recreational drug use in adolescents.  So clearly we haven’t learned our lesson here.

As mature and reasonable adults, shouldn’t we be looking at every possible causality in the epidemics of suicide, school shootings, and cultural violence? Is it really the federal government’s responsibility to teach kids how not to be bullies and how to get along with others?  What role does the media play in shaping children (and adults) who think the only response to being picked on is to shoot people?  I think they have some role to play.  Or is there something we as parents should be doing differently? Maybe medicating kids into zombies so they sit still in class is a bad idea, what happened to recess, PE, football, pickup games of soccer, monkey in the middle? That's where you learn how to deal with life, on the playground.  What 10-year-old boy can sit still in class for 8 hours a day 5 days a week without being disruptive…I can't do that as an adult!

As a father, I think parents are ultimately the responsibility to raise children, teach them how to treat others, and to ensure they aren’t going down a road of violence and destruction. I don’t think it is unfair to say the state of our culture is a reflection of our parenting? When I was young – many decades ago – when mom and dad needed a moment to themselves (because we were driving them crazy), they kicked us out of the house to play in the street, woods, park, backyard, ride our bike to the neighbors, whatever.  Just don’t come back before dinner, and you better get back before dark.  In the morning we walked to the nearest bus stop where we interacted with other kids (face to face) sometimes we got in fights, we teased, laughed, played, but we learned to get along, we learned to cope and recover, and express emotion.  These weren’t always positive experiences, but they were valuable experiences.  But now there are laws against doing what our parents did!  I would break the law to raise my child the way I was raised!  Contemplate that for a moment. So maybe that is how really bullies are made – you cant cope with any adversity so you cry victim – isn’t that a form of bullying?

Today we have legislation to prevent kids from learning the hard knocks the way we did.  So as a parent how do I get a moment alone? (I have six of my own kids, so I’m guilty here) We plug them into a computer, pad, phone, game, TV – something that requires no interaction, no problem solving, no stress, no challenges really.  Perhaps this practice is worth evaluating given our current societal state.

We aren’t allowing kids to learn any coping skills, and we are producing poor adults.  People today exist in the anonymous internet world where their words have no immediate consequences, where their opinions and thoughts are validated by scores of people who think like them because if someone disagrees, you delete them.  They are not required to defend a statement or belief, and you don’t get punched in the face when you say something really offensive, that's a quick way to learn how to behave.

Then the adults, the educated people set up these mythical safe spaces for tolerance where people are free to be, do, think, anything they want and opposition and challenge is prohibited. So when is it these kids will learn to deal with life? How to productively deal with adversity that is sure to come?  How will they be able to discuss and interact in a society where everyone is free to think and believe what they want if they have never had to civilly defend or champion a belief.  We are set up for failure.

But they these safe space babies have been given a super-power for sure.  When they are challenged, or they are uncomfortable, or they hear something they don’t like or disagree with, they just have to scream BULLY! and put on the victim cape.  This allows them to employ any number of identity politics buzz words and the bully is automatically guilty of at a minimum a thought crime and in the extreme a hate crime.  Victims in this class have immense power, including the power to remove status from real victims, real discrimination, real injuries.  But isn’t this power to shut down any opposition by labeling them with any number of dehumanizing euphemisms a form of bullying? Isn’t it the ultimate form of bullying?  Its the magic trump card.

And this isn’t limited to just kids. This practice is rampant among the adults too – Look what happened at Google and in our politics, Did you know Trump supporters are a “Cult”? But the best examples are the universities which have become bastions of safe spaces, tolerance, and inclusiveness, as long as you think like them, agree with them, and you say what they want you to say, like at Berkley.  So don’t dare disagree with the groupthink, as soon as you do, you are a bigot, racist, (any)phobe, and your point of view is hate speech and is no longer allowed because you are the Bully.

Of course, I use examples from my own point of view, but this practice is rampant on both sides of the aisle, politicians have perfected it.  The victim is now the most powerful figure in modern American society, and very well may be so powerful that it breaks the civility of our Union.  In the end, we all need to take a look at the complex and multifaceted contributions to what is going on in our culture.  This trend of Bully to Victim and the weaponization of the victim role is truly a disturbing trend.  We hope that you enjoy our discussion, and contribute to the conversation on our Facebook page and website.

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