Ellington

Most of us dealt with bullies in our youth.

Although the bullies were mean and hurtful, we managed to pick ourselves up and brush the dirt off our shoulders.

Bullying is nothing new.

What is new is Kansas House of Representatives Bill 2310 - an anti-bullying bill.

If the anti-bullying bill were to become a law, all Kansas public schools would be forced to adopt a bullying policy that contains a list of criteria the state deems important.

This includes school districts reporting all bullying incidents to the Kansas Board of Education, minus the names of involved parties and contacting parents or guardians, to name just a few.

House Bill 2310 is a huge mistake for several reasons.

First, save setting basic educational standards, providing appropriate funding and organizing districts, the state must never directly intervene with any school district policy.

This includes disciplinary policies.

That right belongs to the local school boards, parents, teachers and principals, who know what is best for their respective districts.

As such, they should be permitted to set their own anti-bullying policies if they deem them even necessary.

Taking decision-making power away from the local school boards is unacceptable and sets a bad precedent.

The anti-bullying bill also too broadly defines the term "bully."

According to the bill, a bully is one who harms another student or a student's property, instills fear in a student or persistently harasses a student.

According to the definition then, a student who playfully but accidentally trips his best friend at recess would be considered a bully.

He caused harm to another student - therefore he is a bully.

No matter that it was playful, the school must turn the case into the state education board.

In addition, teachers must promote safety in their classrooms and not allow excessive bullying.

If teachers are unable to maintain a safe educational environment in their classrooms, which is in their job description, then they must be replaced by someone who can.

It is the school districts' and teachers' jobs to ensure the safety of their students.

As such, teachers and schools already are ensuring their students are safe.

House Bill 2310 would eliminate that basic accountability and place more power into the hands of state legislators.

Teasing is a basic practice in the working and adult world - that much will never change.

As such, learning to cope with petty teasing is essential to succeed in our world, for better or for worse.

The anti-bullying bill, if passed, would not allow kids to be kids for fear teasing might be considered bullying.

How will our children know how to handle teasing as adults when they never learned the lessons as children?

However, there are extremes.

Children who are the victims of constant bullying are very infrequently sent to the edge and attack students in their schools, like in Littleton, Colo.

However, those incidents are very, very rare and will continue to happen regardless of any anti-bullying law at the school.

Bullying will just become more covert and creative and cruel.

Finally, bullying has been around for ages.

With violent crimes having steadily decreased since 1994, no correlation can be drawn between bullying and the violent crime rate.

So why does Kansas feel it needs to pass a law now?

Why not 20 years ago when violent crime was at an increased level?

House Bill 2310 is unnecessary and redundant.

School districts already are taking care of the problem, and an intervention by the state indicates a lack of faith in its system.

As such, legislators must not pass the bill and should let kids be kids and teachers be teachers.