The buzziest buzzword in education these days is “bullying.” Teachers and administrators constantly regale kids with anti-bullying mandates, speeches and slogans. Actually, to say that they “regale kids” might be an understatement. In some cases, school officials essentially bully students into not “bullying,” as they define it. That’s something I’ve observed firsthand–a story, perhaps, for another time. My point is that some of our worst bullies these days are not young children or even teenagers but rather adults who should know better. And this is true not only in our schools but in every walk of life. Give certain people a little bit of power, and they’re apt to exercise it unjustly. Ironically, that tends to be especially true in situations where the stakes aren’t particularly high — like a neighborhood homeowners’ association. In my experience, few organizations offer more or better opportunities for people to bully others, if they’re so inclined.  Read more: