The Teacher’s Union in Britain is calling for a ban on cell phones in schools. Surely there are good reasons for adopting this proposal--to stop cheating, chatting, and the proliferation of the latest Britney ring-tone. The Union relies on none of these justifications. Instead it says banning cell phones is essential to winning the war against bullying. In another article, the Union takes TV quiz shows to task for allegedly fuelling bullying. What will they blame next? Unicorns? I have a better idea: how about a culture bankrupt of personal responsibility. You know, the kind of society that would blame cell phones and television programs for violent acts.

Bullying is a hot-topic right now. Everyone’s been talking about cyber-bully because of the tragic Myspace suicide. The New York Times even went old school the other day in profiling poor Billy Wolfe, the victim of a series of brutal attacks in his Arkansas public school. A montage of black eyes and other bruises accompanies the piece. Now Billy’s parents are suing several of the perpetrators, and this litigious result seems apt. Yeah, lawsuits are good, in some cases, especially when the police and school refuse to do their job. Bear in mind one of the great cases of American tort law involved a case of 19th century bullying. Bullies populated the earth even in the bygone days before cell phones and Charles Van Doren . . .