Bullying has never been acceptable.
It has never been understandable.
It simply should not be tolerated.
But, with technology providing even more potential methods of bullying others, it has never been more important to emphasize that bullying is wrong.
The consequences, tragically, can be fatal.
If you’re looking for hope, here are a couple of bright lights – one through legislation, the other through education.
U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., is sponsoring a measure designed to protect students from bullying who are – or are perceived to be – lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
As Franken points out in a summary of S. 555, while federal civil rights statutes specifically prohibit discrimination due to race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin, there’s nothing that covers sexual orientation or gender identity.
That’s an oversight that is unacceptable.
Whether you’re uncomfortable discussing LGBT issues or not, the point is that bullying cannot be tolerated, regardless of the traits of the victim. To be blunt: There’s no excuse for bullying
It’s important to know that LGBT students have a history of increased vulnerability. Franken points out that nine out of 10 such students have been bullied or harassed.
The consequences can go far beyond skipping school, failing classes or dropping out. Too often, LGBT students have attempted suicide.
This isn’t a question of sexual preference. It is a question of fairness. Frankly, it’s whether we will tolerate the intolerable based on prejudice.
The answer, of course, is that we should not.
So far, Franken says he has 34 co-sponsors in the Senate. A companion bill, introduced by U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., has 152 co-sponsors. It is H.R. 998.
In Winona, a program this week will spotlight the need for kindness and compassion to replace abuse and bullying.
The program is called Rachel’s Challenge, and it was developed by the father of a girl who was killed in the Columbine school shooting in Colorado 13 years ago.
On Tuesday, at both Winona Senior High School and Winona Middle School, an hour-long assembly – tailored to the different age groups – will be dedicated to Rachel’s Challenge. It will combine video and audio from Rachel’s life and tragic death.
After that, there will be an interactive training session designed to help students sustain positive momentum and create change in the community.
