Sometimes I feel sorry for the kids of today. They are vulnerable to the experimental whims of alleged adults who make mountains out of molehills whilst simultaneously belittling some genuine concerns.
Regrettably, it is all been done in the name of helping children but I suspect it is having the opposite effect.
Consider for a moment the very real impact that bullying has on young lives. We all know that kids being unkind to other kids is not a new phenomenon. Many school days have been destroyed by the cruel taunts of others. Technology has compounded the problem by providing a 24/7 bullying opportunity.
It is right that parents, schools and governments should work together to put a stop to such pointless attacks, although the current practice is to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
Bullying has now come to mean almost anything that hurts your feelings or where you feel uncomfortable.
If someone calls you fat – likely because you are overweight – it is deemed bullying. Have a debate with someone and prove that they are wrong then you risk being called a bully. Beat someone too often at sport then you may find yourself before the bullying tribunal for making that person feel inferior.
These are all cases that have been reported to me from the school system.
The result is a bunch of kids who have little ability to cope with adversity or the opportunity to develop personal resilience.
Alarmingly, this “protect-everyone-from-everything” mantra allowed the perverted gender fluidity agenda and Marxist indoctrination to creep into our schools under the guise of anti-bullying programs.
Now, this is not to undermine the genuine danger that bullying can pose to physical and mental wellbeing but we overlook the actual harm due to spurious claims.
Regrettably, so-called adults are often the biggest culprits and we don’t have to look much further than the Parliament for evidence.
A plethora of pollies have launched public claims of bullying by colleagues during the recent leadership stoush or internal machinations.
As yet, there hasn’t been any evidence provided to support these claims
However, just like the schoolyard claims mentioned earlier, apparently advocating for a candidate to a colleague now constitutes bullying. A requirement to make a decision on who should be leader (in a timely manner) also amounts to bullying. Even being forced to face party pre-selectors who dare to ask challenging questions is also bullying.
What a load of old cobblers. These claims and the people who make them diminish themselves and mock the true victims of bullying.
Shedding a few tears because your preferred Prime Minister gets done over, just like they did-over their predecessor, isn’t bullying. It’s simply self-pity because your political career risks being derailed by backing the wrong horse.
Having your pre-selection called into question isn’t bullying, it’s more than likely just the reversal of how you came to be in the parliament in the first place. First the happy beneficiary and then the “bullied victim” of the same factional numbers.
Naturally, these opaque and unsubstantiated claims are deemed worthy of promotion by a media denied their own preferred Prime Minister.
I know first-hand that many, many unpleasant things go on within the political process but this recent spate of claims of “bullying” only serves to undermine the genuine threat that bullying can pose for our children.
We expect better of our adults and those entrusted with leadership roles in our nation.
Cory Bernardi is the author of seven books and has been a member of the Australian rowing team, a publican, an investment portfolio manager and spent nearly 14 years as an Australian Senator.
