"Heads Out of Arm Pits, Please!"

I'm a bit behind on this subject so I was reading up on the “anti-bullying laws” in the USA. This is something that's been bothering me for a while.

Bothering me as in, why are these laws necessary? What the hell is going on with the parents in this country? Why the hell do they no longer control their own kids?

When I was growing up – and, even as my own children were growing up – I never heard of another child being bullied into suicide! Now, it's a common occurrence that makes me physically ill every time I hear of another case.

The very idea of the frequency is mind-boggling! Are parents simply not paying attention? Do they not care?

Apparently, not. Every time I hear of a parent defending the little darling who is bullying another right into the grave, I'd like to just slap 'em. (No, that isn't bullying – that's battery.)

Back in the Stone Age, when I went to school, the principal (and, sometimes, the teachers) had wooden paddles. Any little brat who bullied another child even to tears (never mind suicide) would be seeing the end of that paddle with the holes in it.

And, that was just the first punishment. Another one would be waiting when that kid got home and found out his parents had been called. (Yes, we had telephones.) That's called “nipping it in the bud.”

How many kids were killed by those wooden paddles? None that I know of. And, The Nitpicker reminded me when he proofread this issue that rarely did the same kid have to experience that paddle more than once. It was a swift little educator!

Are today's parents too stupid, or too lazy, to put a stop to bullying? WHY are laws necessary?

Not that I don't support the laws. I do. But, any time you involve the government in our personal business in this country, things are going to run amok.

Case in point: The Michigan law exempts anyone who is bullying from prosecution who claims they are doing it because “a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction” justifies their harassment.

WHOA, there, Nellie! More killing in the name of God! God must be very proud of his “children.”

A few weeks ago, I wrote about Apple's manufacturer in China – Foxconn. Later, I found a more in-depth article about Foxconn - and more about Apple's compliance in their dehumanizing and unacceptable behavior toward their employees.

You know, we tend to think “what is” is what will always be. In my previous paragraphs on bullying, I've just shown you how that is far from true.

Yet, we tend to ignore things that make us uncomfortable. I doubt anyone was completely surprised when this situation with Foxconn was first brought to light.

I actually saw one article that stated this is just “the cost of doing business” for Apple. Really?

Let me tell you what the ultimate cost will (from the looks of things) be ...

We could become, in fact, ARE becoming, just like China. Few jobs – low wages - our homes literally stolen out from under us – police state – and no accountability on the part of those who caused it.

We'd better get our heads out of our arm pits and pay attention! What goes around, comes around – every time!

New York Times

Just sayin' ...