Bullying Revisited

A couple of readers were troubled by my recent blog criticizing CNN’s “Larry King” show for its program in which “celebrities” spoke of the problem of “gay bullying.”  These readers thought I was making light of the bullying — which I was not.  Bullying — and the psychological and physical harm that comes from it — is clearly a wrong. I was being critical of CNN’s — and the rest of the mainstream media’s — addressing behavior about which virtually no one would approve.  Is it not apparent that this is a non-issue “issue”; that no intelligent debate could be had on the topic for the reason that no intelligent person could defend the practice?  It is like having a discussion on the issue of people who poison other people’s pets!

I would have been more impressed had this program asked about the societal origins of bullying.  Given that there is so much bullying engaged in by police officers [see Will Grigg‘s articles and blogs], prosecuting attorneys [see Bill Anderson‘s writings], and the military bullying of men, women, and children in such places as Iraq and Afghanistan, ought we to be surprised that a lot of unstable persons might embrace the practice for which establishment bullies are cheered?  What about a government that openly embraces the torture or assassination of anyone deemed worthy of such attacks?  Do the “celebrities” who gathered to voice their opposition to gay bullying see any connections, here, that are worthy of examination?  CNN will not do so, of course, because such deeper inquiries would take us into an examination of the entire institutional structuring and domination of life for which it — and other members of the media — are spokesmen!

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5:38 pm on October 6, 2010