Bullied young people need a better day today : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis

The fact that bullying recently pushed five young people into committing suicide is devastating.

The message of a campaign using the phrase, “It gets better,” is only the first step. Telling someone to hold on for a better tomorrow isn’t enough. These young people need a better day today.

Thankfully, the National Conference for Community and Justice of the Piedmont Triad (NCCJ) has, for 73 years, helped to create a more inclusive community for all of us, not just some. NCCJ, through its programs, enables young people to explore the issues that prevent all of us from having a seat at the table. For some of these students it’s the first time they’ve had an opportunity to engage in a respectful dialogue about these issues and to be heard.

Through continued support, students are able to go back to their communities and be the change they want to see in the world. NCCJ is helping to create a society where all of us are valued for who we are. Hopefully our community will continue to support NCCJ, and I look forward to a time when bullying, to a young person, is as archaic as the rotary phone.

Hoyt Phillips III
Greensboro

dubya

October 12, 2010 - 8:56 am EDT

Bulies are lacking in..ahem... other areas and picking on the weak makes them feel whole. However, try as you might, you will never create an environment where your kids will never face any adversities in their childhood. It's part of growing up.

Right Winger

October 12, 2010 - 9:44 am EDT

They are of the mindset that Social Engineering will fix all humanity, they are sadly mistaken.

October 12, 2010 - 12:43 pm EDT

It's a sign of the times. A couple of years ago, a few days after election day, a ltte complained about the leftover campaign signs she had seen the children handling at the local school and she was upset that the board of elections hadn't removed the signs yet because one of the little tykes may be scratched by a rusty wire and contract some deadly infection. I kid you not.

Besides, Forest....Forest Gump turned out all right, huh?

Edit: I wonder why there is only one ltte to comment on and also this close to election there MUST be a flood of letters pouring in in support of the Ayatollah and his comrades in the house. Wonder why they aren't being published?

Panacea

October 12, 2010 - 1:01 pm EDT

The disease in question is call tetanus. It is indeed deadly, and far too many kids are not up to date on their vaccinations. So this lady's concerns were well placed.

I can't believe you made that Forrest Gump remark. How insensitive.

Snapper0274

October 12, 2010 - 1:39 pm EDT

"...and far too many kids are not up to date on their vaccinations."

Not to worry, Obamacare and other government programs and laws will provide "free" vaccinations along with a plethora of other goodies to protect the "the children" from tetanus, bullying, french fries in Happy Meals, you name it.

October 12, 2010 - 1:45 pm EDT

The health care reform is not providing free care. You still have to buy insurance, and pay co pays. No one ever said health care reform meant free care: it does not. It means affordable care; quite a difference.

The uninsured can already get free or low cost vaccinations from the health department, child or adult.

This benefits you in the long run for people to be healthy: healthy people cost less for the system to care for than unhealthy people, and improves productivity in the workforce.

October 12, 2010 - 2:39 pm EDT

I know it's not free Panacea, apparently you missed the jest.

Funny that you say Obamacare isn't free and then immediately say the uninsured can get "free" vaccinations. Free to them perhaps, but someone pays for it.

As for your last sentence, we'll wait and see how healthy we get under Obamacare.

Back to bullying. I've read about proposals to specifically target bullying against gay people after a gay guy was videotaped having intimate relations with a partner and his roommates posted it on the web. Reminds me of the hate crimes laws, it focuses who the victim is rather than who committed the crime. What is the difference if the victim is straight or gay? It's still bullying and punishment should be equal no matter who the victim is.

October 12, 2010 - 4:45 pm EDT

I can't imagine what you thought about your statement was funny.

Health departments across the country have provided free vaccinations for the poor for years. This is nothing new. It has nothing to do with health care reform.

And yes, taxpayers do pay for it. So what? It's a sensible use of tax dollars: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Vaccinations prevent epidemics: they keep you and yours free of disease as much as me and mine.

If you're expecting things in health care to get better in six months, you will be disappointed. The effects of these reforms will take a few years to be fully implemented and for their effects to be measurable.

I agree with your comment re straight or gay bullying. I don't think we need to pull sexual orientation into it. That incident would have been just as wrong had the couple been straight. Bottom line is the roommate did something he should not have, and someone died . . . he should be held accountable.

October 12, 2010 - 2:45 pm EDT

Uh, no. I'm not insensitive and I have no use for bullies. But I'm curious about what to do about them.

The writer mentions "creating a more inclusive community for us all".

What the hell does that mean? Are bullies not part of the community and do we intend to 'exclude' them?

Sounds like social engineering feel good gobbledygook.

October 12, 2010 - 3:09 pm EDT

"creating a more inclusive community for us all".

It means the same as "we as a society" or "and be the change they want to see in the world." Feel good stuff.

What to do about bullys? Jail time and/or fines for them and/or their parent or put the bully in a juvenile detention center. The bully who tipped the Porta John on the 7 year old should go to reform school and his parents fined.

Look folks, if you have children you should be responsible for their actions when they are minors.

October 12, 2010 - 3:15 pm EDT

"Reform school"...

Gloria Allred would burst an artery rushing to the mikes...

October 12, 2010 - 4:50 pm EDT

"I have no use for bullies" is counter to "kids should learn to deal with adversity."

An inclusive community means educating bullies and redirecting their behaviors into something positive. Bullies do so for a reason; they get something out of it. Find what that something is, and address that need, and then it is possible to put their energies into something more constructive.

An inclusive community also means a civil community: a community that reaches out to one another in times of need or stress. Kids don't live in a vacuum: when they hear adults talk about segements of the community as "losers" "slackers, "Deadbeats," then that part of the community is dehumanized. Once kids learn how to dehumanize one another, inflicting these kinds of serious pain because easy.

This isn't social engineering: it's the essence of Christian love thy neighbor as thyself, the Golden Rule, and good old fashioned manners.

Doug

October 12, 2010 - 1:04 pm EDT

We don't enable comments on letters about individual candidates.

Doug Clark

October 12, 2010 - 2:49 pm EDT

I realize that, but I thought with the election drawing near and with the sea of Obama supporters out there eager to express their support, there might be a few about democratic party/working man/little man loyalty letters that you were sitting on.

October 12, 2010 - 1:00 pm EDT

There's a difference between adversity and the continual harassment and hounding that bullied students go through.

They can't escape their tormentors: not in school, not in their home neighborhoods, and not even online.

Constantly being torn apart by their peers is not adversity: it is torture. It takes mental, emotional, and physical forms.

Some students are literally beaten to a pulp, and have to deal with teachers, parents, and other adults who look the other way and say "kids will be kids."

It is never OK to bully. It leaves long lasting scars. As members of a civil society, we have a responsibility to put a stop to these kinds of behaviors.

October 12, 2010 - 1:47 pm EDT

I just read a news report from New Castle, DE:

a 14 year old boy forced a 7 year old by into a portapotty, and then turned it on its side, dumping human waste all over the 7 year old.

This is the kind of thing bullied children put up with all over the country. This is not "kids will be kids.'' This is torture. We as a society are accomplices to torture when we blow off the consequences of these kinds of behaviors.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=7717427

October 12, 2010 - 2:36 pm EDT

So what's your solution? And please be specific. No "we as a society need to blah blah blah".

October 12, 2010 - 4:53 pm EDT

Focus on citizenship in the public schools starting in kindergarden. These behaviors can be taught exclusive of religion. Examples of good citizenship can be demonstrated through leaders such as George Washington and the book on good manners he wrote. It can be focused through community projects done not for a grade, but to expose children to experiences where they can help others and learn to treat each other with sympathy, empathy and respect.

news-record.com

OPINION