OPINION: How society must confront bullying by speaking up

Bullying comes in many forms, though some go less noticed than others (photo courtesy of Thomas Ricker/Flickr).

We all have skeletons in our closet, so how can anyone be justified in bullying someone? Our diversities should make us individual and unique, not victims or targets of bullying. Bullying, however, can be stopped. What’s lacking is confidence—the confidence to stand up for what you believe is right, and enough of that confidence in yourself so that you don’t have to bully another person for a self-esteem boost. We are all God’s children, and therefore, we, as a society, are a family; so why not stop that kid from bullying that student the way you would stop him or her from bullying your sister or brother?

Violence doesn’t have to be involved. People sometimes forget that words can be stronger than actions, especially violent actions. Violence is a representation of hatred, no matter how small; and as Martin Luther King Jr. said, “hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Bullying isn’t going to be solved by bringing a gun to school or throwing punches at the problem. This response only makes the problem worse, and harboring that kind of anger can eat away at your soul. Bullying is going to stop when we learn to speak up, not just as individuals, but as a society. Our generation is so fearful; whether we realize it or not, we’re scared to even tell the truth, whether it is who started a fight or who’s been bullying whom. Honestly, the silence is almost worse than all the violence.

Martin Luther King Jr. stood up for what he believed in, and he didn’t need violence; he needed enough people to believe it with him. He needed the thousands of protesters in the Birmingham demonstrations to not fight back with violence even when being sprayed with water hoses and attacked by police dogs. He needed the hundreds of thousands of people who took place in the March on Washington to listen and agree with his words.

According to Dr. King, “nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him… Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon, which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals.”

As it says in the Bible, in Matthew chapter 5, “But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also…Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute.”

So before you decide to fight back with your fists or a weapon, remember that violence won’t get you anything but a first-class ticket to jail. It’s not worth ruining your life because you only get one. And before you see that boy being bullied and decide to walk on by pretending you didn’t see anything, remember that those who stay silent rarely make history.

Would you like to respond to this article with a letter to the editor? If so, send an email to exec.editor@connect2mason.com with the subject line "letter to the editor." Please specify to which article your letter is responding.