For F's Sake!!!

[DrDoug]

We home schooled our daughter, and are doing so now with our son. And not for any religious reasons either. It is because of the way schools are dumbing down our kids with 'Certificates of Mastery' and other meaningless bullshit that is supposed to give them confidence. Everybody wins in school now, nobody loses. There is no reality of what they will be facing in real life once they are done with school. Everything is handed to them now, and all they have to do is get their parents to bitch about it to make it happen.

Our kids are taught english, math, science (evolution style, thank you!), reading, writing, penmanship, art, history and world affairs. They learn about what it is like 'out there' in the real world, and what they will need to equip themselves with to face it properly. We are not religious, but our kids know of the many religions out there, and how many of them interact (historically) with each other. If they decide to adopt one, that is their choice to make. Not ours.

We are proud of our kids because they know it takes hard work to win, that life just does not hand you stuff because it is 'only fair'. They are competitive, and they will do what they have to so they win. That is the right attitude to have in life. Work hard, be aware and learn from your environment, be polite and treat others well. Don't cheat, and don't expect a handout. Work for what is yours, and work hard for it.

They have lots of friends, and they are questioned by both them and their parents about their schooling. The kids tell me that it is amazing how much more they know about 'real life' than their friends. Our daughter works at a local retailer, and this is her first real job. After two months on the job she was promoted and her boss wrote a glowing commendation about her ability to work well with customers, other employees, and that when she is given a job she does it to the best of her ability (which is damn good!). Then her boss sent a copy of it to the company HQ.

Proud? You bet your ass!

They endured Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter and survived intact. They enjoy those holidays, and know the historical and religious significance of them. They are also respectful of the holidays others celebrate, but they will not accept the diminishing of their holidays just to accommodate them.

One other thing. If either of them ever wrote a paragraph like Coyote did here, there would be some serious remedial action taken...lol!

[thetroy]

The other advantage to home schooling is parents end up knowing their stuff instead of looking at the kid's homework and being like

[bangkok]

The "Bill Of Rights" doesn't protect anyone from being offended. Our "Constitution" does protect our freedom of speech.

I agree that school is were we learn about winners and losers and to handle losing. Allowing everyone to be a winner all the time helps no one.

[Newc]

OK, so it didn't stop us tormenting those poor weirdos, but it at least taught everyone how to be sly and do it without getting caught,

See, I have to take an issue with this, having been bullied in school myself. I was not one to start trouble, but it certainly had no problem finding me. I tried to be nice and polite, and wound up in a school full of worthless dickheads who wanted me for their punching bag.

To this day, if I run across one, I'd kick their faces in and kick their pregnant wives in the stomach and point the nearest pedophile to their children's daily schedules. If they live on the streets today and eat rats and roaches, it's too good for them.

Schoolyard bullies need to be beaten by the parents of the kids they attack. I'll be there to do that for mine, because I'd rather not have to teach my children how to cripple someone, and I'd rather they not go through life wishing death upon someone else.

Then again, maybe I will teach my kids how to cripple someone who attacks them, to set the example for the other little rejects of "fuck with me and it'll be the last thing you do without a feeding tube in your stomach". I could teach them how to stalk the bastards - find out where they live, what their day-off routines are, and then jump them when they're off on their bikes by themselves and leave them beaten and broomstick-anal-raped in a ditch somewhere with a footprint on the back of their heads, and then to piss on them so they're marked as property like the animals do.

Maybe I can start a new trend: teach your kids to not be dicks, unless you want to spend the rest of your life spoon-feeding them.

[RacerX]

Ah, OK, Internet Fight Boy...

[Shawn Lutz]

Newc you have some issues you need to get resolved...read your last post and tell me thats normal thinking.

[shobet]

Well he spoke his mind at least.

[thetroy]

Being tormented every day like a lot of Middle School kids do really does screw people up. Some people used to mess with me back then because I was smart until one day I got pissed off enough to do something about it. I beat the shit out of one of the assholes in the locker room and suddenly everyone was nice to me.

But I can see that if I had never done that I would still wish for an opportunity to do so now.

[Rsmacker]

Um, hit a nerve there, I think.

Newc, I too was bullied at school when I was about 9.
Pretty damned miserable, but when I grew into a gruff, nasty bastard, the boot was indeed on the other foot.
One thing I had learned was that it was better to be on the winning side, not to be the one taking all the flak. I learned the hard way, but luckily it only lasted about a year. My friends also learned my lesson, they weren't bullying me, they certainly weren't diving in to sacrifice themselves to protect me. When some other target of opportunity presented itself, they certainly didn't think how bad it had been for me, they jumped in and started on the other guy, as did I. I hadn't learned that bullying is to be avoided, I learned it is better to avoid being bullied.
The best way to do that is to pick on some other poor chump, or maybe even just to be such an unpredictable loon that potential bullies look elsewhere for their prey. I should stress that when I say pick on some other poor chump, I'm talking about common-or-garden childhood scraps and teasing, not full on attempted murder, or "crippling". You use that phrase a couple of times, so I assume you had real problems. I'm sorry to trivialise the issue for you. That is more than "bullying", though I guess the difficulty is where the difference between giving a kid a crowpeck and hitting him over the head with an iron bar lies.

Bullying is nasty, but it is everywhere in nature, it's part of the selection process. Shit if you are getting all the grief of it, but it will never stop, unless we are all absolutely equal (and we know will never happen). If kids experience this sort of stuff at school, either first hand or observing others being harassed, they are going to develop their own defence strategy. Shielded from it, they are going to go out into the big wide world and some big bad nasty boss in the dept above them might take a dislike to them and totally fuck their life up. Better for them to know the signs, know how to avoid it, and how to deal with it. (Which, I'm afraid doesn't involve anally raping anyone with a broomstick). I mean by not becoming a victim.

Rather than living with bitter hatred, learn from your negative experiences, don't dwell on the past. You have come out of the other side, so unless you are going to go out and get your payback by giving someone a twatting, let it go.
Maybe you will be the clever bloke who fixes one of those bullies' cars, then remembers to add on some twat tax, enjoying seeing them shit themselves when they get the bill. Maybe you will be the cop that pulls them over for doing just over the speed limit, but rather than give them a warning, plays it absolutely by the book and gives them a nice ticket they will find hard to pay.
Maybe you can just outdo them by being the best in your chosen field, it's a great feeling when everyone wants to be your mate all of a sudden when you are somebody, and you can tell them to fuck off. I remember reading that Jake E Lee was bullied as a geeky kid, so stayed in practising guitar, grew his hair and then resurfaced a few years later as Ozzy's guitarist, total rock 'n' roll, man of the moment. I wonder if he could turn the clock back would he change it so he hadn't become bullied?
Learn form it Newc.


And don't do anyone with a broomstick. At least lube it.

[fett]

What I find disturbing is the rest of the world is starting to "Polarize" their beliefs in fast forward while we are trying to accomodate everyone that lives in the US so not to offend anyone. Are we ahead of the curve or falling behind very quickly?

[DrDoug]

...
Maybe you will be the clever bloke who fixes one of those bullies' cars, then remembers to add on some twat tax, enjoying seeing them shit themselves when they get the bill.

...

"Yes Sir, after doing your brakes it is normal for the pedal to go right to the floor until you get the new pads broken in. Just pump it up a few times and you will be just fine. Be careful on the steep hill leaving this place!"

[cdwillis]

God, if a kid doesn't want to get bullied he's gotta quit being a pussy and stand up for himself. When I was a kid I had another kid bully me, though I didn't see it that way at the time, and my dad told me to stand up for myself. Needless to say when I kicked this kids ass I didn't get messed with anymore.

I think it all relates to how kids today are growing up with the attitude of everyone's a winner and we're all equal. Just because the playing field is level doesn't mean there aren't losers. Kids need to learn this shit.

[DrDoug]

cdwillis, there is some truth to what you say. Though, as with most any situation, it gets more complicated than that. Some people have no problem in standing up for themselves (or even others) when they feel they have to. Others, for a myriad of reasons, are incapable of doing so. Bullies tend to know one from the other, and they focus on what they see as the sure bet. That is not a fair fight.

I was lucky as a kid and was able to avoid a real fight until 9th grade. I can tell you, it took some work (and abuse), but I was able to refrain from it. I was tall as a kid, so I did not get picked on much. In 9th grade, this one bully liked to go around and trip up kids, slam them into lockers as he passed, and anything else he could do to make those he saw as weak plain miserable.

One day he bounced me into a locker, and I decided enough was enough. I got in his face and challenged him to a fight, right then and there, in the boys bathroom that we were next to. He was surprised, but kept up the tough guy crap and we went into the can. Quite a few guys, and even a few girls, followed us in. I told him that I was not going to be the first to throw a punch, and told him he could have the first shot. I was tall (about 5' 11"), but this kid was at least 3, maybe 4 inches taller, though we were of the same build (slender).

He gave a half hearted jab at my chest (with the back of his hand...lol!), and I jumped on his ass and beat the crap out of him. He got one good shot in, but I knocked him over the trash can, got him on the floor and pounded his ass good. Mr. Joyner, our history teacher, came in and separated us. Off to the Principal!

I was suspended for a week, and Fergie (the kid whose ass I kicked) was not suspended, probably because the Principal felt sorry for the jerk...lol! When I came back everyone was like "Wow! You went ape shit on him!", and I said that I would do it again. I wore that suspension like a badge of honor...lol! Also, Fergie quit being an asshole to everyone. He was actually nicer to people, which was a surprise.

I was never bothered again in high school as the other assholes steered clear of me. Not only that, but I even stopped some of the fuckers from making other kids lives miserable. For that, I was rewarded with two great friends that I have to this day. They were both 'heavy', and got picked on all of the time. I cut the crap out for them and we were inseparable pals in high school. We pulled some great stunts as the school practical jokers. But that is another story...lol!

I have encouraged our kids to stand up for others when they believe they have to. Don't let others invade your personal space, and nail their ass to the wall when they do.

[RacerX]

That's a great story, DrDoug! I wish you had gone to my high school!

[Rsmacker]

So you went with this chap into the toilets, "got him on the floor and pounded his ass good"? With an audience??
Riiiiiiiight, Ok.

Have you met Wilkinsi? :ROTF: