David Bulley
Bio
History teacher, writer, storyteller
Stories (24/0)
If You Say in Public That You “Don’t Trust the Media” You Are a Special Kind of Stupid
Every once in awhile I run into a man at a party who brags that he carries his tire iron under the driver’s seat of his car (always a man) just in case of trouble. Knowing nothing else about this person than this one statement, I can safely assume that they are cowardly and a douchebag and cruel. Perhaps in other aspects of their life they are somewhat normal, but this statement gives them away. The same is true of people who claim to “not trust the media.” Particularly, if they say it in a way that is meant to come off as sage, and worldly. When a person says that, I, and many others, understand deep down that the speaker is a very special kind of stupid.
By David Bulley6 years ago in The Swamp
Republicans Are Now Completely Immoral
In the 9th grade, I took great delight in pissing off my sociology teacher. He was a WW2 veteran, had literally marched on Auschwitz, was an evangelical Christian, and deeply conservative. In classroom “discussions,” I used to quote anarchists from Camus to Sid Vicious just to infuriate the man. One day, as I argued the benefits of anarchy, he became enraged like I’d never seen him. He pounded his fists on my desk and leaned in close enough that spittle flew into my face. His eyes gleamed, and he savored what he said next with the delight of a wonderful fantasy. He said, “If there were no law, Mr. Bulley, I would shoot you.” He cocked his head to the side, considering his options, then continued, “I would use a high-powered rifle with a scope, a 30.06 and I would wait on the hill behind your house and when you stepped outside, smiling, confident, cocky, you would never see it coming. You would never realize you were dead until your own chest burst apart and your front door was littered with gore.” He grinned, I think because he finally shook me. “That, sir, is why we must have law.”
By David Bulley6 years ago in The Swamp
America is Exactly Wrong in Its Approach to North Korea
In any middle school American social studies class, as they look at ancient cultures, the message is repeated and reinforced: With trade comes the exchange of ideas. Through all of history from the Phoenicians to the Romans, from the crusades to the age of exploration, trade changes people. As with Native Americans, sometimes this is tragic in inestimable ways, but often, open trade opens minds. Why then, do we continue to believe that trade sanctions force change? It has literally never worked. As we continue the path of increasing sanctions in the hopes of bringing North Korea to heal, it’s important to remember that this path has never worked and is unlikely to work now. But there is another path which often works: trade.
By David Bulley7 years ago in The Swamp
Stop Using “Snowflake” As an Insult. Top Story - October 2017.
It is fun to turn around and use the insult intended for liberal progressives on the conservative base in an attempt to point out how poorly conservatives react to having their feelings hurt. The insult du jour in American political debate has become “snowflake.” When a White conservative reacts angrily to being called out on racism, it’s fun to make fun of his sensitivity and use the insult he just used on you because you are concerned with the plight of the poor. But next time that word is on the tip of your tongue, consider its origins and usage.
By David Bulley7 years ago in The Swamp
Time to Take a Knee
In the military, the American flag is lowered each evening at sundown as they play Taps over the loudspeaker. This is in line with the US flag code which says that the sun should never set on the American flag unless it is brightly lit. When I was in the Navy, around sundown sailors scurry for cover, trying to get inside before Taps began playing and they would be stuck outside standing at attention and saluting until the flag was lowered completely. I used to do the opposite. I would wander outside.
By David Bulley7 years ago in The Swamp
Liberals Are the Only True Patriots Left
FDR used to call the contingent of isolationists who were strongly opposed to war with Germany “Shrimps” because they had a spinal cord but no brain. At the time, America had its share of Hitler admirers: Lindbergh, and Ford just a few notables. The country was lining up with conservatives very much against the war and liberals for it. Roosevelt was certain that if we did not attend the war, the war would come to us. This was the last time in American history that liberals got to play the patriot card. For World War II, liberals were the patriots and conservatives labeled as fascists and worse. Most, of course, were simply isolationists who believed that Europe could solve its own problem, but that didn’t stop the left from playing the patriot card and eventually joining the war.
By David Bulley7 years ago in The Swamp
Hug a Nazi
I’m almost finished with the first draft of a book titled How to Stop Feeling Afraid, in which I use all my experience as a high and middle school disciplinarian to show how nearly all aberrant behavior has its roots in fear. Why did that guy call you names? He’s afraid. Why did your girlfriend snub you in public? She’s afraid. Why were you robbed, threatened, hurt, dissed, cut off in traffic? All, all (except for the sociopath) because that person’s fear was powerful enough to overcome their natural human tendency to get along with others.
By David Bulley7 years ago in The Swamp
"The Media Lies" Challenge
Media Challenge Mainstream media does not “lie.” There. I said it. It's trendy nowadays for people of both ends of the political spectrum to talk about and act as if it’s a pre-existing condition that the “media” lies. But it doesn’t. Yes, some media like the New York Times has a mildly left-of-center worldview, but that is not a lie. If the Washington Post chooses to run a story critical of Trump over a story about cute puppies, that is not a lie. It may be biased but one can be biased without being a liar.
By David Bulley7 years ago in The Swamp
How Close Are You to Being a Terrorist?
After 9/11, most people in the industrialized modern world asked ourselves an important question. How could anyone do such a thing? For most of us the question was merely rhetorical. But for social scientists the last twenty years have seen a great deal of research attempting to determine what factors, conditions, and mindsets contribute to the radicalized mind. What makes a person a terrorist? In an article for MONITER, the journal for the American Phycological Association, Tori DeAngelis wrote about the work of John Horgan, PhD who interviewed 60 former terrorists. He found that people vulnerable to racialized beliefs have several things in common. Let’s start with the most obvious:
By David Bulley7 years ago in The Swamp
That's Stupid
For several years now I have administered discipline in high schools and middle schools, which has given me a unique insight into human behavior and American culture. Our children are tiny, carnival mirrors reflecting the best, and the worst of us in obscene and sometimes inaccurate proportions, but reflecting truth none the less. One way observing young people is useful is to see them as negative role models. Essentially, if you want to act like an adult, stop acting like your children.
By David Bulley7 years ago in The Swamp