Bullying, a cultural ‘norm’ that I hope to eliminate

As I’ve previously mentioned, I am taking a child development course, and this week, the class has been discussing the influence of culture on children.

Asked what value or cultural practice that we would like to eliminate, my answer is that I’d like to eliminate bullying in all spheres of society.

Bullying: Trump would be ‘bystander’ in schoolyard, celebrating violence against journalist

As someone who works toward a school and social climate where bullying is eliminated, I want to talk about comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, in which he spoke admiringly of a Montana congressional candidate who “body-slammed” a reporter.

‘Of course’ Trump wants to strip funding from libraries

“Of course” U.S. President Trump wants to strip away federal funding of libraries. Writing for The Nation, Sue Halpern argues that libraries provide the “raw materials of civic education.” They offer a “space where everyone belongs.” And not only are libraries built on “the open and egalitarian promises of democracy;” libraries also exist to promote those promises. Cuts to libraries are consistent with Trump’s assault on immigration and democratic principles.

Children’s books for resistance to climate of empowered bigotry

The current U.S. President, with his expressions of prejudice, uniquely empowers people to engage in bigoted behavior openly — and the worst and longest-lasting legacy of the “Bully-in-Chief” may be lessons in how-to-hate that adults are passing on to children. At Bustle, contributor Aisha Saeed recommends six picture books she is reading to her children to help them navigate current events.
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Trump’s speech to Boy Scouts ‘toxic beyond rhetoric’

Bullying takes on especially-high priority with a U.S. President in office who’s been dubbed “Bully in Chief.” One recent incident concerns interjection of “political rhetoric” by U.S. President Donald Trump into a speech that he delivered during Boy Scouts of America’s 20th National Jamboree. An invitation to the current president to visit has been a long-standing Jamboree tradition according to “ScoutingWire.”
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‘From Bully to Bull’s Eye’ by Andrew Faas

Many people, according to Andrew Faas, relate the word “bullying” to what happens in schools; they don’t associate workplace behaviors with bullying until, Faas says, he describes the dynamics of bullying with words like “abuse,” “coercion,” “exploitation,” “extortion,” “harassment,” and “threats.”

In From Bully to Bull’s Eye (RCJ Press, 2016), Faas argues that workplace bullying extends beyond an incident or conflict between a bully and target at work. According to Faas, “entire workplace cultures in many organizations are built on foundational principles that guarantee a toxic environment for all, not just a few select victims of particularly vitriolic harassment.”

ALA opposes recent Trump administration actions

Executive orders and actions of the Trump administration stand in stark contradiction to the values of the American Library Association. In a statement released Monday, ALA President Julie Todaro asserts, the ALA “strongly opposes any actions that limit free access to information, undermine privacy or discriminate on any basis. This includes the temporary suspension of visas and entrance to the U.S. based on anyone’s nationality or religion as well as the increased scrutiny of any individual’s communication such as mobile phone and/or social media activity.”

Government censorship of science

The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom issued a statement this week, condemning demands by the Trump Administration that scientific findings by the Environmental Protection Agency be subject to review for consistency with the administration’s political viewpoint.

Post-election, young people feel less safe

As a former Challenge Day volunteer and a survivor of school bullying, I want to amplify the sentiment in an email message from Challenge Day, its post-election statement.

ALA president apologizes for press releases that ‘normalize’ Trump administration

In a post to American Libraries blog, The Scoop, Julie B. Todaro, president of the American Library Association, apologized for recent press releases that appeared to capitulate to, and normalize, the incoming Trump administration.

Value of libraries: Most Americans agree

In refreshing contrast to the divisiveness that plagued this past election, David Kipen asserts that “most Americans still agree” on the value of the public library. Writing in the Los Angeles Times, In fact, according to Kipen (writing in the Los Angeles Times), librarians “may be the only first responders holding the line between American and a raging national pandemic of absolutism.” (Case in point, this election’s hideous outcome of Donald Trump as the next U.S. President.)