JUST IN FROM FORTBENDNOW.COM: Citizen Backed Poats or Houston Developer-Backed Incumbent Allen Owen -- The Sign Wars Wage On!

OP/ED: When Schoolhouse Bullies Grow Up

Having spent a few years on school playgrounds, I’ve had the opportunity to observe childhood behavior during free play extensively. One disturbing reoccurring theme in this environment is the emergence of those who attempt to dominate or physically bully other children.

It is a problem that faculty, staff and administration spend a great deal of time on. Government programs have even been funded with much research ongoing, yet still the problem persists.

One of the first interventions monitors use in any situation, where bullying may occur, is to remove the victim and confront the bully over the behavior. This seems like such a simple solution, until we realize that the children are learning this inappropriate interaction from us adults.

As you would expect, this rather simplistic intervention only solves the problem temporarily. The actions usually continue, but only in less obvious areas of the playground. A more covert behavior emerges as the child adapts (because through compliance, by the victim, it is rewarded).

Over the last year and a half I’ve had the opportunity to witness first-hand adult bullying and like many children on the playground have hoped that someone in authority will come and intervene. Of course, in the adult world, bullying is often allowed and encouraged.

Even Stanford professor Jeff Pfeffer’s 1992 seminal work “Managing With Power,” and countless other leadership texts, seem to be encouraging the bullying mentality of those “with the most gold get all the power.”

Legislation and the courts are easily subverted in this process and become part of the adult game. Those with less power are merely expected to comply and even apologize for their efforts to “call the bullies” on their behaviors.

In the current local elections we see the culture of political-business co-optation in more of the adult gaming processes. In Missouri City, like many other communities, we have an entrenched mayoral incumbent heavily backed by large Houston land corporate interests, who have decided that they need this mayor and council until they are finished with their area projects.

The message seems to be that we can have our local government back when they are finished with their work/profit taking here. How do local voters, taxpayers, and residents deal with such antics on the adult playground? The simple answer is you don’t, but I believe most of us still have an infantile memory of schoolhouse justice. At least enough to expect that something can be done.

The answer, for me and many others, seems to be in the political process itself (voting). As I write this piece a sign war is going on between the local incumbent mayor’s backers (bullies) and local residents of this community (victims) supporting his opponent.

I’ve never replaced so many yard signs in my life, not even when the developer was pulling our “No More Apartment” signs here in the controversial ‘05 issue that led to the SLAPP suit and eventual TX Supreme Ct. case. What can be done about this? . . Nothing, maybe, but I’m writing to let you all know my sense of infantile schoolhouse justice! . . . =-)