The dictionary defines bully as “a blustering, browbeating person; especially one who is habitually cruel, insulting, or threatening to others who are weaker, smaller, or in some way vulnerable”. As I scroll social media, watch the news, and read the paper, I am constantly bombarded with bullies and I wonder... why?

What is causing so many people to be so angry all the time?

Goodwill posted a question on Facebook that said, “What is your favorite book to get from the library?” What could possibly cause bullying to take place from such a simple question?

A lady posted that her favorite book is the Bible, followed by her reason why. Comment after comment after comment belittled and ridiculed this lady for posting her favorite book. (I would have hated to see what the response would have been if she wrote Charlotte’s Web….eek!)

Why is this acceptable behavior? And why are people not realizing they are becoming bullies with every negative word they say toward others? It is easy for people to be bullies when they aren’t face-to-face with the person, especially when they are half way around the world. However, being cruel to someone, no matter where they are, isn’t acceptable.

It is even more unfortunate that our children are being exposed to this kind of behavior, especially when it is from the same people that are supposed to teach them right and wrong. In Rita Pierson’s Ted Talk (Ted Talk), she says that every child needs a champion, an adult who will never give up on them and insist they become the best they could possibly be. It is the job of adults to encourage kindness and love-- not cruelty and hate-- to our children.

We have the freedom of speech, but we also have the freedom to choose our words. What happened to the old adage: if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. It is time to treat people with respect-- respect for their opinions, beliefs, values, and ideals.

The Preamble of the Constitution states, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

We the people can’t form a perfect union if we are tearing others down. We the people can’t secure our futures if we are tearing others down. We the people can’t be safe citizens if we are tearing others down. We the people are better than what we the people have become.

I am a lot of things: a daughter, a sister, a friend, a student, a citizen, a mentor, and a teacher, but what I’ll never be is a bully.