No soap radio...

Back in the day we used pull a gag where several kids would be in on a joke and one" innocent" would not. The leader of the group would tell part of a joke and end it abruptly with "No soap radio-" Everyone in on it would laugh hysterically, all the while waiting to see if the "innocent" would laugh along even though there was nothing funny said. It was an awkward moment for the "innocent" and usually wanting to be included, they would laugh along, at which point the joke would turn on them and they would be made to feel foolish...

Being ostracized by a group of people is no fun. Taken to extremes, it's bullying or mobbing (bullying by a group). But, is bullying something new?

No, it is not. Bullying has been around forever. The difference is that the world was a lot crueler 40-50 years ago. Prior to the Civil Rights Movement, racism, anti-Semitism, gay bashing, to name a few, were all taking place out in the open and little was being done to prevent it.

Thankfully, for most of us, this has all changed. We're accepting of other people's differences, we even embrace them and support them in their choices. "We've come a long way baby", but still there is bullying and mobbing in schools and in the workplace. Wherever there is power to be had, there are those who will attempt to control it, and bullying is all too often their "modus operandi".

We're seeing more and more children getting bullied and not dealing with it in a healthy way. Unfortunately, without a support system in place that would provide these kids refuge, they are in some cases, taking their own lives. So how do we as 'mature adults' prevent this?

The first step to recovery might be to admit that bullying is rampant in the adult world. When it comes to jobs, money, and politics, bullying has become an acceptable survival technique. Just look at our political leaders and their negative campaign ads. Like little brats saying "Nah, nah, n, nah, nah -" we're bombarded with negative and exaggerated truths from political candidates and their supporters, about their political opponents. How can we change the behavior of bullying children when we're setting such a terrible example?

Change begins at the top and works its way down. Right now there's not enough people at the top setting that good example. It will take individuals with integrity to step up and set a new course, people brave enough to lead without resorting to bullying to obtain their power.

There's nothing funny about "No soap radio", and even less when you laugh along with it-