Readers' Comments from the Manchester Union Leader

6/17/10

Well the comments to today's headlines--a shark sighting off the NH coast and a biker losing his prosthetic leg in the median of I93--were just too expected and cliche.

Instead, I give you an intelligent response to the editorial Bullying in school: The authority vacuum. Its main point, as stated in the last sentence, is that "unless teachers and administrators firmly reassert their authority, aggressive kids will continue to assert their own."

Though I was never physically attacked, I was a victim of "teasing" in grade school. There were many reasons, one being that the teachers themselves were sometimes to blame for "labeling" me and thus making me a target. It is absolutely imperative that teachers and administrators don't inadvertantly make a child a target. Fortunately, once in high school I became more accepted by my classmates and my self worth improved. However, even to this day (I'm too rapidly approaching 60), I am shy and crave acceptance, so I can testify to the long term affects of what bullying can do. (Betsy, Manchester)