For me, these aren’t academic
questions. I know what it’s like to be
bullied. A December baby, I was always
the youngest in my classes. Added to
this, I have Attention Deficit Disorder, a “disability”
which went undiagnosed until I was well into my teens. Being the smallest and a bit different in how
I interacted with the world, I was a natural target for those on the lookout
for someone to diminish as a way of aggrandizing themselves. From about Grade 1 all the way into high school,
I was on the receiving end of vicious taunts, torment and physical abuse.
...
It also takes leaders to set
examples and develop the kind of work or school cultures that manage down this
bullying instinct. Former Ontario Premier Mike Harris famously fostered a
competitive culture within the Progressive Conservative Party, believing that ambitious
people would produce the best results. Instead,
the internal fighting became so toxic to the Party that Harris had to lay down
the law for his cabinet ministers.
It’s the exact seem scenario that’s being fueled by the heightened,
competitive rancor in Queen’s Park now.
Somewhere along the way, our political leaders have forgotten that it’s possible to be in total
disagreement with someone without denigrating them as a consequence.
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