Political and Cultural Bullies
When it comes to a clever phrase or literary expression, I love irony, but in the real world irony is often painful. Consider the irony of the current campaign against bullying. Many among the educational, media, and political elite have christened bullying as the next evil to obliterate, and who would disagree? I was bullied as a teenager, complete with insulting names, physical intimidation, and feelings of shame, especially when I got chewed out by my father for not beating up the bully! Fortunately, God blessed me with a durable ego, and one day the bully discovered that his favorite victim had outgrown him; his attempt to trip me on the way to the cafeteria had an “ironic” outcome. However, I find myself doubting the success of this anti-bullying campaign because it is up against a seriously powerful counter-force. I call it the political bully; and, as long as the political bully is not only permitted his intimidating ways but virtually lauded for his perceived eff