One of the most disgusting forms of humanity is the bully. You'd like to think that people are on a higher level than animals, but bullies aren't - they are the ultimate "might makes right" folks.
Animals don't have moral dilemmas - they don't worry about right or wrong - it's just kill or be killed. Civilization only exists because some people can see that life doesn't have to be the law of the jungle. Bullies are the animals taking advantage of civilization. Ironically, some people think it isn't civilized to stop bullies - actually it is the opposite - civilized people stop bullies in their tracks - otherwise life becomes "Lord of the Flies". A certain local sportswriter respects bullies. This writer gets his thrills when coaches bully their teams - he thinks that's motivation. Golf is supposed to be a game of gentlemen. The term gentleman sometimes gets a bad wrap - some people think it means a rich snob - I think that it means a good-hearted, respectful, gracious person - money has nothing to do with it. In fact, the snob is definitely not a gentleman - lot's of bullies use silence as a weapon, especially snobs. What are your thoughts?
3 comments:
This is a confusing concept for me. Throughout my earlier education, I was always taught to be as the "noble savage" if I was to be a respectable human being. After all, according to my pedagogues, the savage lifestyle is the purest form of human existence. By definition, the savage is uncivil or one with the animal kingdom. This is a completely conflicting viewpoint than yours. Interesting how different people find polar opposites as the pinnacle of human existence.
It also brings to mind the question of the duality of Harvey's existence. Certainly, he lives as a member of the animal kingdom with a "kill or be kill" mindset, but at the same time, none can deny that Harvey does have many attributes of a gentleman--or gentlebeast if you will.
Unfortunately, bullying doesn’t end in childhood. Adults bully too. When Bjorn Lomborg wrote a book critical of the environmental movement, he was brought up on charges in his native Denmark! Although he was eventually cleared, one can imagine the “chill effect” created by this aggressive act.
Later, a global warming expert hit him in the face with a pie in a London bookstore. Is this how adults should behave with people they disagree? Doesn’t it seem like the Inquisition still goes on, it has just changed its subject matter? Bullying also prevents us from having a marketplace of ideas
I agree wholeheartedly with the "Lord of the Flies" comparison. We are living in a society where we praise and promote the bully. We even gather round and support him or her, even knowing that we could be the next target or maybe because we know that. Are we so afraid of these people that we won't stand up to them?
Richard says he was taught to be the 'noble savage". the "noble savage walked his own path, he had integrity and he protected the weak. He didn't support bullies. There is a distinct difference between the strong, aggressive survivor that was the noble savage and the bully who picks on vulnerable people.
Watch "A Few Good Men" closely. One of the Marines came to understand.
We don't have enough real heroes in this country. We applaud reality tv where bullying, manipulation and power are the name of the game. We join in the ridicule of the underdog because we don't have the decency of a supposed Christian society to help that person. We stifle creativity and crush opposing views instead of learning from them. We are not open minded and intelligent in this country. We are backwards.
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