Bullying and Tolerance

There is so much talk right now about bullying and although I agree with the maxim of being kind, I also feel like the children of today are getting a mixed message. TV programs (even the mundane ones) excel in pointing out the "dorks" and the "nerds," intolerance is taught through religious practice or political word-wars and anyone who is in the least bit different is automatically set at a disadvantage.

Don't squirm. It's true. If you have a Muslim in your class, that person is automatically at a disadvantage, simply because they have a religion that is not mainstream, over-media-ed America as a loud and persistent few would have it believed. If you are fat, you are automatically at a disadvantage because the American way of life is geared towards sickeningly skinny (and terribly photoshopped) modelism that doesn't reflect real life. If you are of color, if you are from a different country, if you are too short, too tall, too anything - you are at a disadvantage, and we have endless media to prove it. You don't see turbans on the front of People, do you? You don't see fat people modeling bathing suits, do you? You don't see people speaking a different language in the news for anything except crimes, do you?

And the problem is - if you are not actively and consciously speaking up against this type of stereotyping, well let's face it, this type of hyper-judgmental I am sitting on my throne judging you energy, you are contributing.

Getting kids to stop bullying is something that has to start with the consciousness of our society and Life in America as we know it. It's not about making laws that prohibit discrimination - we need a media to match that! It's not about putting those bullies through psychoanalysis (although that could help), it's about getting their parents and their community members (anyone they are in contact with) to practice what they preach about kindness and tolerance and stop judging everyone else, stop calling names, and stop insisting that their way is the Only way.

Solutions can't come by us pointing fingers at the big bad bullies, solutions need to start with a media that is kind, tolerant and non-bullying and there are alot of people out there who are seriously responsible (just flip through your tv channels!) and who need to stand up and be willing to stop being bullies - political bullies, religious bullies, any-agenda bullies.

When we live that tolerance, when that tolerance is the underlying value of our communities and our society as a whole, that is when bullying will stop.

Blessings.
- Darshan






© 2010 Darshan F Jessop