Of all humanity's problems, by far my least favorite is cruelty. Duh. It's the most blatant, hurtful, and universally evil. Let's face it, those who take pleasure in abusing their fellow humans are the scum of the Earth. The saddest thing is, so many people mistreat their peers everyday and get away with it. What's just as sad though, is that the number of people willing to stand up to bullies is virtually zero to none.
Bullies are portrayed in movies all the time. Nearly every movie villain is portrayed as some powerful person who, in their selfishness, take pleasure in the downfall of another person. However, I feel that movies tend to not give bullying justice. Real-life bullies aren't always puffed jocks like Biff from "Back to the Future" or glammed up snobs like the cast of "Mean Girls." Anyone can be a bully: fat girls, teachers, handsome boyfriends, your best friend...or you. Usually it's subtle; verbal abuse can be disguised as humor or teasing or just "stating a fact" and physical abuse can be disguised as accidental or blamed on the claim that the victim was "clumsy," "weak," or "dramatic." It doesn't matter what the excuse is. Anytime someone is hurt by your actions or by your words, you are the one to blame. I think the biggest step we can take to fight against bullying is to recognize the bullies within ourselves. Everyone has been a jerk to someone else at least once in his or her life...even if they don't feel like they have.
The reason I'm writing this today is because I have been seeing it everywhere lately. At Brittany's highschool (the school I just recently graduated from,) girls are ripping each other apart like ravenous jungle beasts. My old church is in ruins currently not because of controversial preaching, but because of gossip and judging in the church body. Even the dojo, my home-away-from-home, continues to be filled with snide remarks and negative criticism to the point where students (many of whom are close friends to my sister and I) are dropping like flies. Girls are changing schools, families are leaving the church, and kids are begging their parents to sign them up for dance class instead of karate. Why? It had nothing to do with my principal's standards or the church's doctrine and certainly no one could ever hate karate. It's simple; people are savages at heart and they're allowed to run rampant.
Whether intentional or not, it's never okay to demean people. Even if you're in a posititon of authority over someone, you should still try to limit your negative remarks. Know that everyone, no matter how confident they appear, struggles with self-worth issues to some degree. I don't believe in the whole "sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me" schpeal. Words can hurt waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay worse than getting pelted with a rock. Be aware of the things you say to people. If your negative comments (jokes and "just kidding" count) outweigh your positive, you are definitely doing something wrong.
As a former bullying victim, I have compassion for those who have to deal with bullies. I think it's sick when kids get up the courage to try a new school or hobby and are met with mockery and exclusion. If you have someone in your life who is making you miserable, I have the utmost empathy for you. Some of the most wonderful people were hated and treated like crap. In John 15:8, Jesus says "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." Bullies may tell you that you're a nobody or a loser but know that the reason they're saying that is because you threaten them. You have something (looks, brains, confidence, a kind personality, a healthy home life, etc.) that they are jealous of. In a way, you should treat bullying like a compliment. If someone is singling you out as a bully victim, you probably give off some kind of vibe that the bully is afraid of and wants to squash. They want to drag you down because they think you are better than them.
Is it really that hard to encourage others instead of demean them? It seems like kindness should be the most basic core values, but it's something that's so rare. Remember the Golden Rule? Well, that's something Jesus coined first and nearly every single other religion adapted. Let's face it, it's the most basic life principle of all time and hardly anyone makes an effort to live by it. Let's be the few who actually do live by it. Let's start changing people's lives by simply changing the way we talk to people.
DO TO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD LIKE THEM TO DO TO YOU. Luke 6:31 (NLT)
