In response to “My Turn” by Charles Kelly
Mr. Kelly,
I am sorry to hear you were repeatedly bullied as a child. (“My Turn: Make bullies stand alone,” Sun Newspapers, Thursday, Jan. 2.) Sad to know one of the bullies still had not realized and owned up to the pain he caused.
I believe if we want to eradicate bullying behavior, we need to examine why people bully. I say “people” because bullying behavior is not exclusive to children. There are adults who also continue to bully others. There is a fine line between playing jokes on others and bullying them, and some TV shows and commercials show bullying behavior as acceptable. One commercial comes to mind in which a colleague was humiliated because he chose to write with a pen rather than use the technology the company was selling.
Bullies are usually very unhappy people, and lashing out and belittling others is an attempt to booster their struggling egos. While this negative behavior cannot be tolerated and should be addressed, I don’t think merely telling children not to bully and/or punishing them is enough to stop bullying behavior.
We now know that intelligence is more than our ability to critically think. Compassion and empathy are aspects of our emotional intelligence which also need to be cultivated and nurtured. For us to develop as balanced individuals, we need to foster both right and left brain activities.
One fun way to nurture emotional intelligence is to offer children (and adults) the opportunity to connect with others through Laughter Yoga. Laughter is universal. We can laugh with others regardless of age, language, nationality, religion, social status, or culture. Laughter Yoga is a great stress reliever and is currently being incorporated in conflict resolutions in the Middle East.
There are many additional benefits to regular unconditional laughter. Laughter is good for our physical health: strengthens and balances the immune system, oxygenates the body, boosts circulation, and the endorphin-like chemicals released in the brain make us feel good. So, in breaking social isolation and facilitating human bonding, laughter boosts self-esteem, something most bullies lack.
This balanced approach to ending bullying behavior would seem to offer real possibilities for ongoing success. As Dr. Madan Kataria, the founder of Laughter Yoga says, “When you laugh, you change, and when you change, the whole world changes.”
Colleen Crossen CLYT
Seal Beach
When a soldier comes home
(From an “Unknown Source”)
(Note: Along with all the New Year’s Resolution people are making, they should consider placing themselves in each stated situation.
1. When a soldier comes home, he finds it hard…to listen to anyone whine about being bored.
Try being on constant alert.
2. To keep a straight face when people complain about potholes Try shellholes.
3. To be tolerant of people who complain about the hassle of getting ready for work.
Try responding while enemy shells are exploding
4. To be understanding when a co-worker complains about a bad night’s sleep.
Try sleeping in rain or snow.
5. To be silent when people pray to God for a new car.
Try praying for your next meal.
6. To control his panic when his wife tells him he needs to drive slower.
Try avoiding enemy fire.
7. To be compassionate when a businessman expresses a fear of flying.
Try to avoid dive bombers
8. To keep from laughing when anxious parents say they’re afraid to send their kids off to summer camp.
Try Basic Training
9. To keep from ridiculing someone who complains about hot weather.
Try avoiding frigid temperatures
10. To control his frustration when a colleague gripes about his coffee being cold.
Try getting any beverage. hot or cold
11. To remain calm when his daughter complains about having to walk the dog.
Try “Patrol or Guard Duty”
12. To be civil to people who complain about their jobs.
Try 24/7 for weeks on end
13. To just walk away when someone says they only get two weeks of vacation a year.
Try 3 day passes occasionally.
14. To be forgiving when someone says how hard it is to have a new baby in the house.
Try to do your best with a wounded comrade
No one has been able to explain why young men and women serve in the U.S. Military for 20 years, risking their lives protecting freedom, and only get 50 percent of their pay on retirement. While Politicians hold their political positions, in the safe confines of the Capitol, protected by these same men and women, and receive full-pay retirement after serving one term.
It just does not make any sense.
Try 28th Amendment to the US Constitution:
“Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States.”
Bill Thomas
Rossmoor
Largest crime in Seal Beach is peventable
Thank you for a terrific 2013! With the community’s partnership and the hard work of the men and women of the Seal Beach Police Department we were able to drive down crime in Seal Beach.
We experienced an amazing 17 percent Part One crime reduction for the year (murder, assault, rape, robbery, arson, vehicle theft, burglary and theft). This is a remarkable occurrence that should be celebrated, but we can do better.
Our largest single category for Part One crime is theft from vehicles.
This crime is preventable. We can stop this by doing two simple things:
Lock your car when you leave it (even if it’s just for a minute).
Remove all valuables from your car when unattended.
These two things can make a huge difference to our town. Thank you for your continued partnership.
Together we can make Seal Beach an even better place to live, work, and play.
Joe Stilinovich
Chief of Police
Seal Beach
The opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor are not necessarily those of the Sun. The Sun welcomes Letters to the Editor. Letters should be 300 words maximum. Letters should be e-mailed, signed by the author and include the author’s address and phone number (the latter two are for verification, not publication). The Sun reserves the right to accept, edit, or reject letters for any reason. Unless otherwise indicated, all letters sent to the Sun are understood to be intended for publication. E-mail letters to: dennis@sunnews.org.
