Canadian skater Commits Suicide After Bullying

[skatinginbc]

did the video link work, by chance?

Yes, thanks for the link.

[Tonichelle]

http://www.facebook.com/#!/video/vid...00389804206621 - Tanith & Partner's video
http://www.facebook.com/#!/video/vid...00389805918191 - Violetta & Partner
http://www.facebook.com/battleoftheb...00389805114801 - Marie-France & Partner
http://www.facebook.com/battleoftheb...00389798997061 - Anabelle & Partner
http://www.facebook.com/battleoftheb...00389802260521 - Elena & Partner

[skatinginbc]

Hockey players and figure skaters spoke out against bullying!!! Their efforts and good hearts touched me deeply.

[Serious Business]

Exactly. I am a teacher in NJ, where there are strict bullying laws, enacted by a Republican governor. [...]

Interestingly, some left-wing people hate the bullying law because they hate the governor (for reasons unrelated to bullying, mostly due to budget cuts), and are now saying that bullying is normal and healthy and you need to be subjected to it in order to find your place in the world, etc.

Oh goodness, so much partisan misinformation here. The Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights wasn't "enacted" by the governor. It wasn't something he pushed or campaigned for. It was written by a bipartisan group of state legislatures (with mostly Democrats) who worked on it for over a year. Then, spurred by the Rutgers spycam suicide, it was passed by the state legislature, where both chambers are led by Democrats, with veto-proof margins. The governor rubber stamped it without comment. By the way, the only person who voted against it was a Republican. People who object to this law aren't doing so because a Republican governor didn't make a symbolic gesture to try to stop it.

[jcoates]

Toni,

thanks for the rest of the links. I forwarded them to some blogs I read regularly and to Aunt Joyce. Hopefully one or all will post the vids and spread their impact.

[blue dog]

For those who don't have facebook, here are the youtube links:

David and Tessa: http://youtu.be/pJS44vpC0IM
Maura Grierson: http://youtu.be/ywWkrjDes_w
Violeta and Cale: http://youtu.be/sbfJLlDGdQg
Marie-France and Brian: http://youtu.be/Uu5BIF95T5Q
Curtis and Elena: http://youtu.be/j21O-HH7Ec4
Boyd and Tanith: http://youtu.be/u_LEv37ih5w
Brad and Annabelle: http://youtu.be/_zWJPnCTvKI

[callalily]

Thank you for the links.

I especially like the one from David Pelletier and Tessa Bonhomme. Very articulate and heartfelt. Both have lived a "role reversal" in terms of society's expectations, and as adults now speak very well about how these conventional expectations just don't make sense, and of course the fact that we need to treat each other properly as human beings.

I love David's comment "we should try to be a positive influence in each other's lives, not a destructive one". I also liked Tessa's words about how there aren't "boy skates" or "girl skates", just figure skates and hockey skates.

[gkelly]

Oh goodness, so much partisan misinformation here. The Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights wasn't "enacted" by the governor. It wasn't something he pushed or campaigned for. It was written by a bipartisan group of state legislatures (with mostly Democrats) who worked on it for over a year. Then, spurred by the Rutgers spycam suicide, it was passed by the state legislature, where both chambers are led by Democrats, with veto-proof margins. The governor rubber stamped it without comment. By the way, the only person who voted against it was a Republican. People who object to this law aren't doing so because a Republican governor didn't make a symbolic gesture to try to stop it.

Just curious. What is there about the law as passed that would cause left-wing people to object to it?

[blue dog]

Just curious. What is there about the law as passed that would cause left-wing people to object to it?

Not to go OT, but i think this had to do with the political climate of the moment, where if you are on the right, you veto anything the left comes up with and vice versa.

However, what the cast of Blades did is remarkable.

[jcoates]

Given the conversations earlier RE: New Jersey, I thought this would be of interest to people here.

2/3 of the New Jersey Congressional delegation filmed an It Gets Better video. According the Huffington Post, it is reportedly the first time Republican office holders have participated in making one of these videos. Hopefully more will follow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsHwm...layer_embedded

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/1...n_1030795.html

[dorispulaski]

This is good too!

[Mathman]

The Michigan legislature just passed a bill outlawing bullying in schools except in cases where the bully is acting out of "a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction.”

http://swampland.time.com/2011/11/04...us-tormenters/

[dorispulaski]

So bullying gay kids is OK if you are of an evangelical sect that says that is OK?

Bullying girls is OK if you are an Osama bin Laden style Muslim?

That is disgusting, if I am interpreting it correctly.

[Dragonlady]

The Michigan legislature just passed a bill outlawing bullying in schools except in cases where the bully is acting out of "a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction.”

So if someone sincerely holds a belief that banks are the tools of the devil and satan should be robbed of his wealth, would it be OK for said person to rob banks? Warren Jeffs was recently convicted of sexual offences against his child-brides. He had sincerely held religious beliefs that said it was OK for him to marry 12 year olds. Why didn't he get off?

If people want to believe that being gay is wrong on religious grounds, that's their right, but it doesn't mean they can act on that belief and attack others. Those they are bullying have rights and beliefs too, one of which is safety and security of person.

[blue dog]

So bullying gay kids is OK if you are of an evangelical sect that says that is OK?

Bullying girls is OK if you are an Osama bin Laden style Muslim?

That is disgusting, if I am interpreting it correctly.

I am with you, Doris. It gives someone like the WBC license to bully. It gives anyone license to bully against anyone, literally, and will basically create more harm than good. This will also hurt religious groups, since people might make incorrect assumptions about them.