We are reaching a pivotal time in the history of America. One where there are so many rogue variables in play that one slight movement can upset the scales and, literally, throw the planet into turmoil. Rather than sitting here and trying to fix every relevant problem like Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Defense and other things that actually need to be fixed, the media has created a war on bullying. This has actually become such a big deal that there are not for profit groups that offer free plastic surgery to kids who have been bullied. Personally, I don’t think bullying is a good thing (what sane person would say it is) but seriously, bullying has always existed in some form and now it is just getting media attention

The main reason I attribute the bullying issue to be put in the spotlight right now is because of the rise in the suicide rate of teenagers, preteens and children has risen recently as a direct result of bullying. But the question isn’t if the intensity of the bullying rose but rather why the person thought that suicide is the only way out. In my opinion, it is not the intensity of the bullying because there are so many variations and hazing has existed since the dawn of humanity, but there is some other cause. I blame how we are raised. It is because no one ever loses in anything that these rates raise.

What do I mean by this? If you played soccer as a child born after the end of the U.S.S.R. you probably have a trophy. In fact you probably have many trophies, one for each season of sport you played. And regardless of your skill level, your trophy is exactly the same as both the best player on the team and the worst player on the team. This is because your league probably did not keep score and/or did not have a playoff. Each team at the end was tied for first and everyone won. Also, especially more recently, children’s television shows have been dumbed down and had a more explicit and more positive message that everyone is perfect and no one is different from each other.

Now what have we created? An environment where once a kid is in school and around other kids who are both above and below their own skill levels, the students not as athletic or intelligent attack them and the students that are more athletic or intelligent attack them so that, in their mind, they are on the same level. Now what is the student left to do? They can tell a teacher, a parent, or another adult with authority. This rarely helps the situation because the attackers now view the child as weak and they need someone else to fight their battles. After a few years in this cycle, roughly until they reach the age of ten to thirteen, they will continue reporting the incidents.

After this the student will realize what is going on and decide to continue reporting, take matters into their own hands, or take their own life. Now before the media starts blaming everything else for these suicides, why not start with themselves or organizations for kids which are unhealthy for their psyche. I am sorry if I come off as insensitive and I do believe that any suicide of a person is an immense tragedy, but do not use these tragedies for political gain. It is just causing more pain and heartbreak for the family.