Bring back the strap

It’s shocking to learn that 97% of teachers employed by the Hamilton-Wentworth District school Board have witnessed acts of bullying and did nothing about it, and now require training to identify this behavior? Back when I went to school we had the perfect antidote to bullying, it was called the strap, it was brutal but effective in changing behavior. Without discipline, there is chaos, as we have seen.

Mark-Alan Whittle, Hamilton

My own experience as a kid: Bullying

I had big ears and I was skinny, an instant target. Many times my ears hurt from being flicked with pencils, my jacket drenched in spit, my mom had to hose it down. My dad told me to tune them out, and not to react. Well, I tried my best but one day I had had enough. A kid flicked my ear from behind, I instantly swung around and landed a solid left hook that dropped him like a stone, he had a shiner too. That was the last time I was bullied at school. I fought back and won, my parents paid for plastic surgery to have my ears pinned back, and long hair came in style.

Mark-Alan Whittle, Hamilton Mountain

The key to stopping bullying starts at home

Bullying has been around since the beginning of time and I consider it a learned behavior.

I vividly recall my own experiences in elementary and secondary school. I had large ears, which other students constantly flicked from behind. In class they used pencils to flick my ears. I took this abuse for many years until I finally decided to do something about it.

I was standing by my locker when a regular tormentor tried to flick my ears, but with lightening speed I spun around and delivered a lefft upper-cut square in the eye of my tormentor. Falling to the floor to nurse a nice goose egg and black eye, my tormentor was equaled.

I quietly closed my locker and walked away. I went to the principal's office to explain what happened; I was sent home. My parents were glad I stuck up for myself.

From that moment on I was left alone and not bothered again.

That summer my parents paid for me to have plastic surgery to reduce the size of my ears and all the bandages were gone before school started in the fall.

Needless to say, my problem was solved.

The root cause of bullying starts at home, so that's where it can be solved. Parents have to ensure their children learn the true meaning of compassion and understanding of those that are different, yet equal.

Mark-Alan Whittle

Hamilton Mountain