Cross Country Check Up June 25

 

CBC Radio: the topic for today -  is Canada becoming more or less supportive of LGTBQ people and their issues. I came to it late in the conversation. The quest was for callers to respond to this subject - were they sympathetic to the fear that students who identify as LGBTQ are or may be bullied if they come out.

In our world those who identify as anything different are inclined to be bullied. 

What I would like to hear is why do some people bully and harm others. Bullies generally pick on those who are not likely to match their attacker in size or power - in fact wherever the story of violence arises it's usually against those who are smaller, poorer, different, sensitive, gentle, and vulnerable. 

Bullying fits with the major vices in our world, those who "rise to the top" usually have found ways to maintain their power often disguised as "leadership". Masculinity in terms of toughness then it seems social or corporate media promotes their "talent" to make people laugh, to sing, perform on the stage, act, look stunningly beautiful or desirable. 

Our society promotes a mythology of success - which we are all to subscribe to. Parents hoping their children will get top marks at school, be the best player at their sports team, somehow shine in some way. This is what has been known as a parent's reward.

We learn at a very early age who is a success, most likely to succeed in their class - or at least we are supposed to since Horatio Alger was presented as the American Dream which travelled over the ocean to Europe and influenced UK in the modern times beyond the celebrity of Royals and Upperclass mythologies - you know, getting up there.

What all this boils down to is status, a mark you have succeeded. But the reality is this quest, this striving, can lead to low self esteem, insecurity, self-loathing and mean behaviour. Also climate breakdown, pollution, crime and ignorance.

Labels, new trends and expectations from our loved ones to the extent that we are paying oil companies to promise more oil wells while we are promising our children to take care of our planet so they can survive.

And watching TV shows about bad guys raping and trapping young girls as trafficked commodities.

We are supposed to be jaded to believe the bad guys always win and their victims will always be victims - those who have the power will continue to make the rules and all we can do is hope we will survive their appetite.