We Need a Sense of Human Decency

To The Editor:

Unless you have been living in a cave you know there is a movement in almost every facet of our lives to eliminate bullies and bullying. I know this letter may stick in a few people’s craws but throughout history, even though they were sometimes evil, some bullies were famous and some have made tremendous contributions to history and society.

I suppose that probably the first noted bully was Cain. It is a great theological debate on the question of “Why did Cain kill his brother Isaac?” Was it jealousy, rage, or just an accident? We will never know.

I would encourage you to do a little research regarding “bullies and bullying” and draw your own conclusions and examine the subject from a historical perspective. Here are just a few names you will find listed as bullies: Al Capone, Donald Trump, Bobby Knight, Adolf Hitler, Teddy Roosevelt, Donald Rumsfeld, Simon Legree, Gen. George Patton, Benito Mussolini, Genghis Khan, Wal-Mart, Winston Churchill, etc. The list goes on and on.

Some of the above named people definitely committed inhuman acts toward their fellow man. On the other hand some of the above listed folks rose to historical fame and prominence because of the decisions they made, the leadership they displayed in trying times and their heroic deeds. For example, Winston Churchill was described as being vulgar, drank too much and rude yet he is also known as Britain’s greatest prime minister. Anther bully was Genghis Khan. He built an empire in Asia by raping, burning and pillaging but is also considered one of the most influential people in history. I suppose it depends on how you look at things. You will have to develop your own opinion.

Some folks consider Wal-Mart to be a bully when it comes to business. A lot of the jobs Wal-Mart provides are minimum wage and they don’t provide all of their employees with insurance and benefits. Wal-Mart is also accused of running small hometown enterprises out of business. Those “everyday low prices” come at a cost. What is it you want?

We definitely need to eliminate bullying and bullies from our world. You can put up the anti-bullying signs, have all sorts of literature available to young people, hold anti-bullying conferences, etc. but it all comes down to somehow instilling a sense of human decency in the human race.

I wish I had the answer.

Marty Riggs

Washington