Read the story here but I've got several issues with this ....
1. Was it bullying, hazing or locker room behavior? The proper classification is important. If we get to a point where people are forced to become robots then the NFL like many workplaces is going to be a very unpleasant place.
2. Did the so call "bullier" realize that his actions were being taken in a negative and not a playful light? Sorry but sometimes you react in kind to let others know their boundaries. Was the victim (a six foot five, three hundred twenty pound lineman) so timid that he refused to let the bullier know that he was inches away from getting knocked on his ass?
3. If someone left a voicemail saying anything derogatory about my mother, I would let him know that he would be fed feet first through a woodchipper. But doing it the way this guy did by walking off the job has me wondering. Did he inform the organization that he had an issue with someone?
The saddest part of all of this is now we're establishing the principle that an adult can be bullied.
That's false. An adult can make choices. An adult can choose to be a victim or choose to stand up for themselves.
The NFL has aided in the pussification of America.
1. Was it bullying, hazing or locker room behavior? The proper classification is important. If we get to a point where people are forced to become robots then the NFL like many workplaces is going to be a very unpleasant place.
2. Did the so call "bullier" realize that his actions were being taken in a negative and not a playful light? Sorry but sometimes you react in kind to let others know their boundaries. Was the victim (a six foot five, three hundred twenty pound lineman) so timid that he refused to let the bullier know that he was inches away from getting knocked on his ass?
3. If someone left a voicemail saying anything derogatory about my mother, I would let him know that he would be fed feet first through a woodchipper. But doing it the way this guy did by walking off the job has me wondering. Did he inform the organization that he had an issue with someone?
The saddest part of all of this is now we're establishing the principle that an adult can be bullied.
That's false. An adult can make choices. An adult can choose to be a victim or choose to stand up for themselves.
The NFL has aided in the pussification of America.
So you are concerned about the faint risk of any reduction of the vast entrenched 'Dickification' of America ??
ReplyDeleteWith 50+% of the population not subscribing to the 'd...'-angle of your ledger, would Democracy be rearing its potent one-citizen-one-vote head by putting a modest damper of the daily 'Dickification' of so many aspects of civic, economic and military life ??
How well are we doing under the 'D...'-Regime ?
Judging by the near endless flow of laments on this Blog about what has gone/is going/will go wrong in so many 'D...'-dominated aspects of politics, military programs and doctrine there seems little risk that "Pussification" could make matters any worse...
It's the NFL. Players try their best to maim their opponents within the scope of the rules. Not only are all the players male, most of them are alpha males. So you're going to have basically the same shit as you had in high school. They're going to fuck with each other. The difference is an adult should be able to handle being fucked with.
ReplyDeleteI have not seen a better example of America's pussification than this one.
Assuming two peers can resolve issues, there are many situations where one is in a position of authority over the other person (supervisor, instructor, etc) and there isn't much the subordinate can do except leave. If they are in a position where economically they cannot leave, they are stuck taking the abuse.
ReplyDeleteYou also have gender as a factor. In an age where workforces have men and women, what happens when a woman bullies a man? In decade past, you could always punch a guy in the nose to attempt to resolve such an issue, but those days are long gone in the civvie world.
these day, if you tried that you'd be sent to prison. If you tried to physically assault or threaten a woman in retaliation, you'd be made into a pariah and sent to prison.
As a former union steward, I've seen it in the workplace and was one of the major issues in the workplace. I've seen co-workers and colleagues where they couldn't leave their situation because it meant economically they'd suffer, so they stay and take the abuse as long as they can. If the bully can manipulate the system, hide behind procedure and protocol, make everything outwardly look reasonable, they can get away with it. The person targeted by the bully suffers mentally and physically until they or the supervisor are removed from the situation.
Look at what Amos did to Weirick. They went thru official channels to fuck with Weirick, question his sanity, his professionalism, etc. Weirick and his attorney can claim the psych review clears him, but the damage is done. He was removed from the case and now his career in the JAG is effectively over. What is Weirick going to do to prove he isn't a "pussy"? punch Amos in the face? file a lawsuit? None of those will get Weirick his job or career restored to where it should be.
Where do you think all those bullies from high school go? They go into the workforce where they find new people to bully in more discrete, manipulative ways.
there are plenty of ways to handle a bully. but the main point is that an adult has a choice. either you accept the bullshit or you confront it. sometimes we make things more difficult than it has to be.
Deletei refuse to accept the idea that surrender is the only option.
People are pussified in this country because the laws and institutions favor those who can manipulate the system in their favor.
DeleteSLAM Marshall said that the 'Fight or Flight' model of conflict needed to include a third option, Stay.
You can confront the bully, either as an individual or with allies, and hope you defeat the bully AND keep your job OR
You can stay while you continue to be targeted by the bully and keep your job OR
You can find another job and leave the situation.
Let's be clear, Sol. Employers don't want chaos because it interferes with their business. Given a choice between a supervisor, who they hired and who can cover their tracks by manipulating the system, and the employee who is complaining or worse, mounting a rebellion in the ranks, who do you think the employer is going to side with?
As often as I encouraged people to fight their bullies through legitimate means, they thought it was easier for them to continue to suffer or just find a new job. It wasn't worth fighting and running the risk of losing their job. Considering how bad the job market is these days and that people don't feel they have any other means to fight besides hiring an attorney, I can't say I blame them.
You can go to a prospective employer and say, "I left the job because I wanted a new opportunity and different environment" or you can say, "I was harassed by a supervisor, confronted them and was terminated".
People don't fight because they have too much to lose and the prospects of winning are extremely remote. Ask me how I know.