> Einstein wrote:

> "The point is that a bit of balls goes a long way to end bullying"

I thought you were a politician??? How do you think voting parents would think if you were to condone violence in schools? The parents don't want to see violence of any kind in schools. Violence doesn't solve violence..."Not a single bully bothered my nerdy ass in ANY of those schools again." but what about other students who do not have the physical strength to fight back? Essentially you used the same fear tactic they used to look out for yourself, but other students don't have that luxury.

I too was bullied throughout school. Tried to stand up for myself like you, but the violence escalated. 1v1 became everyone v me...It got so bad that I after someone tried to set me on fire, I was taken out of school to be home schooled. In this example, violence in return brought about increased violence towards myself. It was a small town, and I couldn't even leave my house (spent 2 years almost confined living in a house, no friends, Starcraft and Red Alert got me through some long hours ).

Bullying isn't like stepping into the ring and having a match (and at the end of the match it's all over). If you knock a bully down, he will come back with greater vengence, and in my experience they don't fight fair. You can't condone violence amongst youths, also from a government perspective, you also have to do something constructive to curb the trend (now I don't know what laws they wanted to introduce, I am not an american, but the government need to do something that is non aggressive)...

You should have stopped asking for a fair share of everyone elses allowance... Wealth Redistribution does not go over well in school.

A child needs t learn bullies and, later in life, criminals will abuse them if they won't stand up for themselves.

They also need to learn it may take the police half an hour or more to arrive (and that teachers are useless).

I do not tell anyone to teach their children to initiate violence, but I do tell them to react to it.

I was a scrawney befreckled nerd who was either in special ed, or talented and gifted (I will cover this in a new thread). I was the sort of prey most bullies sought until I filled out big time in 12th grade (Summer in the military will do that, as will a late growth spurt that gave me NFL linebacker wide shoulders)

I doubt your experience. It sounds more like you were the bully until the school retaliated. Everyone versus you is just way to far fetched.

Everyone I have talked to that were bullied and fought back says it works. Everyone who did not fight back says violence is not the answer.

> Einstein wrote:

> You should have stopped asking for a fair share of everyone elses allowance... Wealth Redistribution does not go over well in school.

A child needs t learn bullies and, later in life, criminals will abuse them if they won't stand up for themselves.

They also need to learn it may take the police half an hour or more to arrive (and that teachers are useless).

I do not tell anyone to teach their children to initiate violence, but I do tell them to react to it.

I was a scrawney befreckled nerd who was either in special ed, or talented and gifted (I will cover this in a new thread). I was the sort of prey most bullies sought until I filled out big time in 12th grade (Summer in the military will do that, as will a late growth spurt that gave me NFL linebacker wide shoulders)

I doubt your experience. It sounds more like you were the bully until the school retaliated. Everyone versus you is just way to far fetched.

Everyone I have talked to that were bullied and fought back says it works. Everyone who did not fight back says violence is not the answer.

I don't bully, not now, not before...if you wanted to read more into it, I did just move to a small country town, and it was more of a reaction to an "outsider" that put me on the outside. Also everyone is so closely intertwined in a country town that you don't have the diverse social groups that are found in larger schools. So when 1 bully punches you in the head, the rest line up to follow...I understand and respect your position, but for the simple reason that it is very dangerous for a politian to condone violence (saying that they should stand up for themselves is giving them permission to respond to violence is condoning violence...especially since you claim that it is an important skill to learn later in life...I have had my fair share of muggings, and funnily enough I get into more shit when violence is involved than when it's not)...I never once said that teachers were the answer, far from it. Students should stand up for themselves, but aggression breeds aggression...there are other answers to violence...

"Moreover, it's similar to the observation that having a military of relatively equal power as your neighbors ensures security."

Yeah, the Cold War was no real threat...

"Also Flint doesn't understand the idea that everyone is different and not all situations are the same. He sees bullying, he thinks up one way to deal with it that works in his head and decides that is the only way to deal with it, and nothing else will work."

I take it you would then agree with Flint that a law enforcing one solution was a bad idea?

It really really depends on the situation. Sure, there is nothing wrong with children fighting every now and then. However, you can't seriously mean that the disabled kid in the wheelchair should try to run his bullies over or something.  There has to be some kind of protection.
Don't think you need laws for it specifically though, just a teacher or parent with common sense.