Let kids be kids.
I have lots of stories about dealing with angry idiots when I wrote my column for the student paper at Eastern. I had taken the semester off from being an editor and dedicated my full time and attention to being a typical student with only my classes, a gig waiting tables and a weekly editorial column to worry about. Hell, I even ended up breaking up with my high school sweetheart and taking a trip to Vegas with my buddies that semester. It was great times.
Anyway, one time in particular, I had written a column calling a Rabbi in Florida ridiculous when said his parishioners were inconsolable because they were confused by the ballots and think they accidentally voted for Pat Buchanan. One person, who appeared to be a Hassidic Jew, took particular offense and shouted at me that I was anti-Semitic before he spit on me. It was quite traumatizing, but had I not grown up as a typical child, dealing with name-calling idiots, I think I would have been much more traumatized.
That brings me to my point. Did you see this? First, let me preface this by saying that I don’t advocate gay-bashing or anything like that. I don’t think it’s fair that kids get picked on because they’re different because of their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or handicap. That said, I think it’s imperative that we allow kids to be kids. Dealing with people who don’t like you, and tell you so to your face, is an essential part of socialization. It’s important that adults teach themes of tolerance and inclusion, but trying to enforce a doctrine that is so clearly against the nature of childhood behavior is ludicrous.
We’ve got enough whiny bitches in this country, crying every time they don’t get their way and suing every time someone makes them upset. Allowing our kids to grow up never having to deal with, even in small part, the unpleasant nature of humans, is only going to be a detriment to their personal well-being, and the well-being of our society as a whole. There is no “no name calling week” for adults. Bullies, meanness, anger and name-calling are facts of life. Kids can learn it when they’re young, or they can deal with as adults when they have access to things like guns, knives and motor vehicles. Think about it.
