the blog quebecois

David Warren:

Suddenly bullying in schools, which has been with us for as long as there have been schools, has been elevated to a "crisis." When this happens, people who were not born yesterday look for the agenda. And we find it written in large capital letters, in a scheme to impose "gay-straight alliances" on unwilling Catholic and private Christian schools, and otherwise extend the reach of "LGBT" propaganda into places where it is especially unwelcome.

This political method is itself a ripe example of bullying. Victimhood status is declared on behalf of a favoured group, emotionally-loaded examples of apparent victimizing are publicized, and the "crisis" is declared. Powers are sought by activists on behalf of such victims.

Those who resist their power grab are demonized. This is the way every "progressive" cause is advanced. It works, because no one could want to be publicly tarred.

Huey Long, the Governor of Louisiana (1928-32), someone often labelled a fascist (but probably more of a corrupt populist of the Boss Tweed variety) is reputed (though this is in considerable dispute) to have once said, "When Fascism comes to America, it will (be in the name of/come under the guise of/be called) anti-Fascism!"

And it's with an increasing sense of dread that I've been watching the rise of this anti-bullying movement. The main backers ("educators," homosexuals, feminists, Islamists, and certain journalists and commentators) strike me as a rather unsavory crowd at best: they seem less guided by the spirit of civility than by the desire to channel the force of the mob for their own dark purposes.