Geist_Comment

Written by Richard Chmura Sr. on 2007-08-29 14:33:58
original posting to
Michael Geist site
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RE: Cyber-bullying
targeting teachers: poll
‘FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION’
BY MELISSA LEONG August 28, 2007 NATIONAL POST

When teachers declare themselves victims of students’ name-calling and send the RCMP chasing
after the little whippersnappers we are in big, big trouble. When I was in school teachers could deal
with it. If not, they found other work. Teaching was a position of privilege and responsibility.

Ms Leong reports the news. More importantly she foreshadows a decline of civilization. Why? First,
an impressionable child will adopt the attitude of a teacher. Must they call police and embellish every
infraction? Second, much research shows victims often act out by victimizing others in a cycle of
abuse.

I cite a prime example in a video on the Ontario Ministry of Education website. Brant MPP Dave
Levac, a former teacher, and the Minister both testify, by religiously raising their hand, that they have
been victims of cyber bullying. Both were well into their forties before they could spell WWW. What
ornery student then emailed Dave about his nose hairs? Is that why he left teaching for politics?

Here comes the real problem. Victims escalate the cycle of abuse. These two self-professed victims
now have power, parliamentary privilege. And they have used it shamelessly. I cite online Hansard
transcripts of August 29 and September 1, 2006. Where else in the world has a government cyber
bullied, by name, a 14-year-old so heinously? It is one thing if your friends tease “your mother wears
army boots.” Everyone knows it isn’t true or even all that hurtful. It is quite another issue when 100
MPP’s broadcast on a government website that your uncle had sex with animals as well as your witch
grandmother. Even more dreadful when they charge your grandmother, your sister and yourself guilty
of criminal negligence when you watched your uncle shot to death by police. This is against the law,
the government’s own rules, and is a serious abuse of the privileged government website. It is not a
fashion statement.

Teaching our children is the most privileged and important work I can imagine. A close second is
making the laws that protect our children. It is urgent we get irresponsible victims out of these
precious positions of privilege. Stop the cycle.

REF:
Ministry of education video: [ link ]
Text version: [ link ]
Aug 29: [ link ]
Sept 1: [ link ]

Richard Chmura Sr.