Tea at Trianon: The Scourge of Bullying

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Monday, December 23, 2024

The Scourge of Bullying

I know so many adults who live with the long term results of bullying, including damaged self-confidence and anxiety disorders. The problem, which I have seen repeatedly, is teachers who want to be popular with the "cool kids" ad so allow the bullying to continue for the general amusement. The poor victim in this article was even mocked in his coffin by one of his tormentors. From The Daily Mail:

Sammy Teusch was a smart, funny, loving boy who liked fishing, robots and soccer. He studied hard, spent time with his family, and got on well with his classmates in Florida. In November 2022, his family moved to Greenfield, in central Indiana, and suddenly the boy's life became a living hell. Students at Weston elementary quickly started bullying the newcomer. The taunting and violence continued at Greenfield intermediate. He pleaded with teachers for help, but to no avail.
After months of violence and cruelty, he killed himself in May - his asphyxiated body discovered at home by his 13-year-old brother.
Now in a bombshell lawsuit filed by the parents, the extent of the ten-year-old's unimaginable suffering has been laid bare - with photographs detailing his injuries.
The shocking filing also includes a text message from one bully appearing to confess to driving Sammy to suicide and a devastating example of how the child was taunted even after his death.
Sam and Nicci Teusch have accused the school district of failing to act and showing 'callous indifference' to Sammy, who endured months of misery despite their frantic requests for help. (Read more.)