Friday, April 2, 2010

Things that don't make sense to me...

Why people park their cars on the street directly across from another car parked on the street, so effectively creating a very narrow space between them that other vehicles have to navigate, and which is not wide enough for emergency vehicles, should there be a need.

Why our college softball games have to blast music outside. Seriously. The field is right next to the day care center, and games are alway during the peak napping time for 50 something kids under the age of 5 in that building. Including my kid.

Bullying. In recent local news a high school girl took her life because she had been subjected to relentless harrassment by her fellow students. 9 students have been charged in her death, two boys who were charged with statutory rape, and the other students are primarily girls. The girls in particular, reportedly, bullied the young woman verbally and online, through Facebook.

I am completely without comprehension as to how people do this to each other. I have seen from a distance this happening to a family member, who is high school aged. While I am not directly involved because this is not my child, and I know the child's parents are aware and on top of things, it is disturbing to me that high school students can be so cruel.

I know bullying has gone on since the first Neanderthal walked upright and the others pointed and laughed, but secretly wanted to do the same. But it has become somehow acceptable to do it in such a violent and heartless manner that children are committing suicide. On campus here, civility has been the primary topic and a driving force behind programming. But what is somewhat surprising to people who don't deal with people under the age of 24, is that it is the women who can be the cruelest, and primarily to other women. I think people most often think of bullies as being male, with the stereotype being like that kid from A Christmas Story, who stalked other kids in the alleys on the way to and from school. And that certainly still happens. But it has become more prevelant that it is the girls who are very willing to be physically, verbally and electronically cruel and unrelenting in the harrassment category.

I don't know what we do to change this. Where are they learning this behavior, and why are they learning it is acceptable? What is happening in our homes, in our neighborhoods, in our school systems that dignity, respect and caring for our fellow human beings is NOT top of the list of how to behave? I watch a fair amount of TV, and I don't think it is completely to blame. Granted, I do not watch shows like The OC, Jersey Shores, Real Wives of any city and one could argue that what they show us, mirror back to us is bad behavior and we like it. But those shows would not be popular if the behavior they exhibit wasn't in some way already acceptable.

Where have we gone so wrong, and seriously what can we do about it?

1 comment:

Chip said...

We just hear about all the bad stuff that has always gone on but happened before we could tap into the 24/7 electronic media whore.

I wonder though if the internet anonymity factor might be leaking over into real life. You can be/do/say whatever you want on the internet without repercussions... so the idea goes. Thus you get flame wars on forums, etc. Maybe that mindset is sticking even away from the computer.