Message From the Editor: On Bullying and Civility

There has been a great deal of discussion about bullying lately, so much so that Governor Laura Kelly referenced it in her recent State of the State address. How we treat one another constitutes the very fabric of community.

Here in Wellington, many community members have recently felt bullied under the misplaced guise of “free speech,” or because some believe that anyone who volunteers to run for local public office somehow agrees to become a target for hateful rhetoric. Neither assumption is true.

The Wellington Daily News has also been the subject of recent criticism, often from individuals whose online research does not align with the well-researched, fact-checked reporting we publish. While healthy disagreement is welcome, meaningful dialogue has sometimes been difficult when conversations move away from discussion and toward confrontation.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but opinions are not the same as facts.

This pattern of rejecting facts and attacking those who present them isn’t just about misinformation. It’s about behavior. When disagreement escalates into intimidation or personal attacks, it’s worth asking why.

Research on adult bullying shows that approximately 30 percent of adult bullies were themselves bullied as children. While that may seem counterintuitive, experts suggest this behavior can stem from learned aggression or a desire to regain a sense of power once denied. Someone who felt powerless as a child may bully others as an adult to feel control or strength.

In our own community, a small but vocal group has repeatedly disseminated false information on several issues and then watched as emotions are stirred into a frenzy. Language and behavior we would never tolerate from our children have somehow become normalized among adults. In the process, civility has been lost.

This behavior is not good for Wellington, Sumner County, or Kansas. It lacks decency, undermines trust, and shuts down productive discussion that could benefit everyone. Perhaps most concerning, it creates the illusion that such behavior reflects the majority when that is simply not the case.

Philosopher Karl Popper cautioned that tolerance has limits. A healthy society should welcome debate and differing views, but when intolerance rejects reason and turns toward harm or domination, it must be challenged – not to silence others, but to preserve respectful dialogue for everyone.

Social media has amplified this problem, providing a platform for intolerance to spread quickly and widely, sometimes from behind anonymous accounts, and sometimes openly. While some individuals appear to seek validation through attention and online “likes,” the reality is that their behavior is now visible. As a community, we can choose not to reward it.

Ignoring bullying does not make it disappear. In fact, anything that fails to interrupt bullying behavior indirectly enables it. While some choose silence out of fear of becoming the next target, that silence leaves those currently being targeted isolated and virtually guarantees that the same bully will turn on someone else.

Bullying takes a real toll on mental and physical health, not only for those experiencing it but also for those watching someone they care about go through it. Because of this, bystanders play a crucial role. When they ignore or excuse harmful behavior, they contribute to the cycle of harm.

How we treat one another sends a powerful message to those considering living in Wellington or bringing a business to the community. If we want capable, experienced individuals to step forward and help guide our community, we must show that we value respect, facts, and constructive engagement, and that we are willing to stand against destructive behavior.

“Kansans are the most civil, decent people on earth,” Governor Kelly said. “We must have the courage to treat each other with respect, regardless of the intensity of debate and discourse.”

That courage begins locally — and it begins with each of us.