Sound Off -- Dec.29, 2012

Bullying 101

How can we ever get rid of bullying when we so easily dismiss the actions of our parliamentarians, some of which are simply acts of bullying. Here are some standard bullying tactics: 1. Enter the personal space of the person you want to bully — example, cross the floor of Parliament and get into their face. Move right up close to them and give the impression to them that you are going to strike them; 2. Intimidate the other person — example, shake your fist or your finger right in the face of the other person; 3. Swear at them, call them down or disparage them or do all three; 4. Justify your actions by blaming the bullied person. When called on your actions, claim it was all for fun or the other person started it or they played a part in causing your “legitimate” action; 5. Apologize and demean them by requiring an apology from them as well, as if they played an equal part; 6. Have bystanders watch and say nothing or laugh at the person being bullied thereby lending their support to the bullying action. It happens everywhere and we stand by. Adults can be and are bullies as well.

Can’t fix them if we don’t know about it

To the person who wrote in regarding street lights that are out (and all others with the same concern): Hydro welcomes your help. It is impractical for them to have employees continually driving through the streets looking for defective lights. So they welcome you to go online to Manitoba Hydro’s website, click on Report a Street Light Problem and fill in the form, giving the exact location of the defective street light. Or you can call 1-888-624-9376.

Is nothing sacred?

I’m as up to date as most but today on a newscast, I could hardly believe my ears! Two women with no background or any class were saying that the fable “The Night Before Christmas” was outdated and morally corrupt. OMG, they must live in the most “perfect” world. The inference was that this time-honoured story was a bad influence on children. It intimated that “Santa broke into homes,” that he was “fat and unhealthy” and he “smoked a pipe.” How bad is this fiction! In this day and age, can we not have everything sacred picked to shreds. Obviously these women have not one “fantasy” bone in their body. I feel sorry for their families and their husbands. Pathetic!

Councillor Rice in conflict of interest

Councillor Rice makes his living working for a firm that puts underground services to new housing projects. His interest in this issue would possibly come from making sure that the profits by putting in as many services as possible in a development; thereby he supports jamming as many “low-income housing units” as possible per development. We would caution him on his potential conflict and ask for him to excuse himself from future similar debate. This should reflect how absurd his comments on others are!

Conflict of interest hard to avoid

In Brandon, which has part-time city councillors, most with jobs to support themselves and their families as the city pay doesn’t add up to much, so depending on the type of job, any number of councillors could be in real or perceived conflict of interest during any given debate. That night when the council was discussing the province’s Bill 7 and the room was full of angry developers, at least half the council table should have stepped out of the room while that debate was being engaged. All for various reasons and all for different direct or indirect ties.

Could be the potash

Regarding Saskatchewan doing so well — do you think that maybe potash would have anything to do with that?

Another wrong decision

I think the RM of Shoal Lake, which wanted to cancel a conservation agreement, is totally wrong here. That is such short-sighted thinking. We need to preserve land for wildlife habitat. They can’t always be go, go, go, progress, progress! There has to be a fine line there and this is one way to allow wildlife habitat to finally grow and prosper.

Just wanted to do something nice

In response to a recent Sound Off where someone was asking why kids were shovelling school sidewalks. That was the child’s choice and I know this because it was my child. They just wanted to do something nice, which is very lacking in our division with the students. Kids nowadays don’t seem to have any thankfulness to the adults or anyone anymore. Also, as to how safe are our children … it is not the administration, ask your CEO of the division and she will fluff it up for you, I am sure.

Don’t bother coming back

I think if the NHL players and owners were to work at a real job with a realistic salary for a year or two, they might realize that compared to the ordinary working stiff, they have a pretty sweet deal. It’s pretty hard to feel any sympathy for them. Personally, I could care less if they ever play. Just saying!

Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition December 29, 2012