"In my opinion..."
Feb. 1, 2003
The Bully Syndrome
Teachers and students in junior high face the problem of bullies everyday. Much research and press has been devoted to the pervasiveness of this problem as well as the best practices to deal with it. As a teacher, I have been trained to identify the bully and protect the victims. The stereotypical heavy-browed, grunting thug is not nearly as dangerous as the more insidious bully who uses veiled threats and intimidation to coerce others to "go along" for fear of being labeled chicken, wimp, or wuss.
Just as the junior high bully arrogantly assumes the front of the cafeteria line as his rightful place, so does President Bush assume leadership of the free world. He shows little or no regard for the many leaders and citizens here and abroad who strongly counsel against war with Iraq. Bush's continuous barrage of inflammatory language, his use of paranoia and propaganda, cannot change the fact that he is not in charge of the world, and he may not take actions which will surely have dire global consequences without the explicit support of our longtime allies.
Under George Bush and his Republican agenda, America has suffered from economic woes, a lack of properly funded social services, and an erosion of environmental protections. His uncompromising stand on war with Iraq pushes this country further into darkness. I am tired of being bullied by my president and his cohorts. I look desperately for wisdom, compassion, and intelligence. America, now more than ever, needs a true, moral leader. What it doesn't need is a bully.