We were all little bullies, but now we stop the cycle.

When I was younger, as is the case with all children, there was a bully at my school. Actually, one could say there was more than one bully, as we all made fun of each other. The school I attended was relatively small and thus there were fewer children than in most elementary schools. This made every child a target, but for those of us who were not perfect or beautiful it was especially hard. There were few children who would be friends with anyone who who was not especially talented or blindingly beautiful or even thin to the point that they had to be careful not to fall into sidewalk cracks. Okay, so maybe I am exaggerating a little.

The other day I ran into my childhood best friend. We laughed about all the silly things that had happened when we were younger. After her visit I began thinking about all the kids I had known. I realized that during our conversation we had still been laughing at the faults that the other children had. We remembered Daniel as the boy with the lisp, not the boy who was second fastest in class and quickest on the computer. We recalled Trevor as the fatest kid in class, not as the great comedian he truely was. I began to realize that I hadn't grown up since elementary school, I only learned not to say what I thought to other people's face.

In today's world it's not suprising to hear of one child laughing at another. Our society has come to accept teasing as a part of life that one must deal with. True, there is no harm in the occasional good natured joke but when it comes to the point that children are hurting each other daily to look better in the eyes of their peers it is time we all stopped to look in the mirror. Is that really what we want children to learn to value? Do we really want the future of our world to be run on dislike for the way people look, talk, or dress?

Critics of this argument will say that they're only children, and it will do no harm. I disagree. What children learn today they will carry with them forever. If they are taught to reach their goals by shooting others down then that is how they will accomplish things. Even today one can see the emergence of this way of thinking. Look at political figures and their campaigns. Rather than promote their beneficiary qualities they squash their opponents into the ground and bury them under a pile of scandle-ridden dirt. Do we still say that what they learned as children was not important?

I urge all readers, don't brush off what children do as innocent fun, nor stop them from enjoying their youth. I urge readers, don't resort to hate as a final weapon, but to your true strengths that make you unique. Finally, I urge readers to know who you are for your knowledge will not betray you.:)