p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 24.0px Palatino}

To the editor:

In your issue dated July 11, 2018 there is a front page story on bullying. Mrs. Swire, mother of a bullied child, asks, “What can we do?” After all ,the schools have programs teaching students that not only is bullying wrong, it is punished either at school or by the police (that is, unless it is outside the school year). Public service announcements aimed at children tell them to assist the victim and to be friends with everyone.

Then the adults take over as shining examples.A restaurant owner does not like the political stance of one of his customers so he bullies her and her children out of his restaurant. Other parents and children watch the scene. No one “assists the victim” so he pursues her across the street into another restaurant. The bully wins and the children learn. A senior congresswoman from California applauds this action and encourages everyone to follow those with diverse opinions around and attack them, at least verbally. She gets some death threats and other politicians get harassed. The children learn. A woman with a two-year-old in her arms attacks a member of the White House. Babies are never too young to learn! And so it goes.

Here’s a novel idea: Instead of wringing our hands at childhood bullying and telling children “Do as I say, not as I do,” adults could begin acting like adults. Respect differences in other people, even political differences. Implausible as it sounds, I have heard that children learn best by example.

Rochelle M. Shatkin

418 Seaview Ave.

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 24.0px Palatino}