When I noted that Newsday took the lead on the Patrick Kohlmann bullying story, while the NY Times was too busy questioning what color was the “new black,” it was to praise the schizophrenic tabloid for addressing ugliness close to home and in the face of institutional school district resistance.  That feeling didn’t last too long.

Today, Newsday prints an editorial on the Patrick Kohlmann article and the topic of bullying.  I mourn the loss of trees.

Let’s cut to the beef of the editorial:

A West Islip school district spokeswoman says she cannot discuss Patrick’s case. Fair enough. But when contacted Friday, the school did not take the opportunity to describe its anti-bullying program either, or even to confirm if it has one.

Effective programs have been available to schools for a decade. Not only does anti-bullying education teach kids about standing up for themselves, it puts tormentors on warning. The programs send a message, schoolwide, that bullying won’t be tolerated. Every school should know where to find such resources when they’re needed.

A kids gets his head bashed by a rock.  The vice-principal is informed in advance and does nothing.  And Newsday, in a palpable display of anger and frustration, calls for schools to have an anti-bullying program?  Talk about going out on a limb.

This is what I call the “let’s put on a play” form of editorializing, skirting controversy at all costs by pretending to address a subject while saying essentially nothing.  Come on.  Take a chance.  Get wild.  Get crazy.  Demand that schools actually protect their students from getting their heads bashed in. 

What could possibly have gone through the collective minds of the committee that came up with the “let’s put on a play” solution to a problem that is not only real, not only inexcusable, but can cause actual human blood to mess up that nicely shined linoleum floor in the high school hallway? 

This problem goes back to my challenge, issued less than a week ago, for Newsday to tough it out by either taking a position or offering some meaningful critical dialogue, or go cut bait and use its paper to wrap the dead fish.  At least then, the murder of so many trees wouldn’t be a total waste.

Newsday editors, this is not an attack but the extension of one reader’s hand in moving this paper off the dime.  Either you stand for something, or you stand for nothing.  I know you to be a very smart, very engaged group of people, ready to challenge each other and just dying to air it all out.  Are you afraid to offend?  Are you afraid to save the life of some kid somewhere whose head may be bashed more effectively than young Mr. Kohlmann, who had the good fortune to survive?  I know you care.  What is stopping you from showing it?

If you won’t do it for me; if you won’t do it for all the Patrick Kohlmann’s who are depending on you, then at least do it for the trees.