fiction or reality

You know, dads think that they are fairly strong. We fix things when we can, and if we don't know how, we get someone else to do the job.

I am going to try to develop a community discussion about bullying in this town.  adults doing it to adults, adults bullying students, and so on...  Life ain't easy.  But if we don't teach our kids to respect themselves, they will never respect other people.  kids mirror the behavior that they learn at home.  If the kids are bullying other kids, what does that tell society about their home life?

Now, I am not saying every home life is that way.  There are kids who follow the leader.  They often times see the bully as a leader and follow their example.  Doesn't make it right.  When the leader can be identified, would they deny being the bully/leader if challenged?  I wonder.  There is a bully in the senior class. That person has followers who mimic behavior and actions.  If the bully was called to task what would happen?

History shows us that when bullies are confronted they find others to blame.  Even a year ago.  Our fair district had students get caught cheating on a final exam.  Students, faced with failing the exam, complained to parents. Parents called the superintendent.  the exam was not counted toward final grades.  Why?

Maybe the teacher decided that the exam was flawed and through it out.
Maybe the teacher decided that the students deserved a break.
Maybe the superintendent brought pressure to bear on the teacher and the teacher through the exam out.
Maybe all of this is just supposition.  a figment of my imagination.

I am a writer. I can put words together and form coherent thoughts.  That scares people.  I am also a researcher.  If I look at a history and something looks wrong with it, I will try to find out what it is.

But then, there are people who will think that this post is fiction.  Can't be happening in our town.  There was a little town that thought it couldn't happen in their community.  There are places in our country with names like Paducah.  Omaha. Cape Fear. Columbine.  I do not wish those horrors on anyone.  all of the horrors that happened in the schools in those communities started or had their start as a result of bullies.

We can choose to believe that this is fiction.  Or we can take the necessary steps to make it stay fiction.  to do that we need to communicate as a community.