Americans all tend to agree that bullying is an action to be discouraged and avoided by out citizenry. However, we seem to believe it is okay for our elected officials to practice this behavior. In fact, the United States bullies other countries every day into submission to our will. Our federal government bullies state governments into submission every day. Our state governments bully county and municipal governments into submission every day. All government bodies in the United States bully our citizens into submission every day.
So my question is, why is it that we allow our public servants to bully but we don't allow our citizens to bully each other?
Many people are going to answer that it isn't acceptable for the government to bully citizens. I would tend to agree with that statement. Yet, for decades now, we have allowed it to happen to us. So, by our own actions we are admitting that we believe it okay for the government to bully but not the private citizenry. If we as a society did not believe this to be the case, we would not continue to elect bullies to office. Yet, decade after decade, we continue to do so.
In fact, it has gotten to the point that we are now ruled by a new class of politicians: the bully class. This is not limited to liberals, though they tend to be the worst offenders. The conservatives are also just as guilty of bullying the citizenry. So why do we do it? Why do we espouse to believe that bullying is wrong yet continue to elect officials whom we know will continue to bully us around?
So my question is, why is it that we allow our public servants to bully but we don't allow our citizens to bully each other?
Many people are going to answer that it isn't acceptable for the government to bully citizens. I would tend to agree with that statement. Yet, for decades now, we have allowed it to happen to us. So, by our own actions we are admitting that we believe it okay for the government to bully but not the private citizenry. If we as a society did not believe this to be the case, we would not continue to elect bullies to office. Yet, decade after decade, we continue to do so.
In fact, it has gotten to the point that we are now ruled by a new class of politicians: the bully class. This is not limited to liberals, though they tend to be the worst offenders. The conservatives are also just as guilty of bullying the citizenry. So why do we do it? Why do we espouse to believe that bullying is wrong yet continue to elect officials whom we know will continue to bully us around?
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