That's a whole different topic which I don't want to go in. Just say that to ask for civil union is as frontier as it could be already.Originally Posted by ghislaine
That's a whole different topic which I don't want to go in. Just say that to ask for civil union is as frontier as it could be already.
Agreed Ghislaine. I live in DC and therefore am subjected to the constant flow of politics. The hyper-conservative blowhards in public office still llove to scapegoat gays as a way to fundraise and campaign. They are truly twisted people.
The US likes to promote itself as being at the forefront of virtually all democratic and civil rights movements, basically living off a legacy of playing the hero in two world wars and the Cold War. But often it's just not true anymore, especially on gay rights. We promote democracy and fairness abroad, but at home the the reality is often a lot messier. Canada, much of western Europe, parts of South America, and Australia have all arguably surpassed the US on LGBT issues, especially immigration and partnership and/or marriage at national levels. They are also better at adjusting culturally to the social changes going on around LGBT issues.
I, for example, can be an internet bully and don't even know it when I am doing it. Responding to an internet message is like playing a video game: stimuli, automatic response, stimuli, automatic response--The lack of observable facial expressions from the other end of the computer takes away the subtle, instant clues that tell me it is time to stop. Without those clues, there is a strange, false impression that the receivers are emotionally strong enough to take whatever I say or there is a diminished compassion for them because they are anonymous, seemingly not real--nonhuman, for lack of a better word. It has occurred to me more than once that I had to delete my prior posts after I read them again a couple days later and found they were simply not something nice to say to another person. By the way, I am an adult and still have problems adjusting to it. I cannot image how children could even deal with that.
Hey everyone, please pass this along to all you know. Today is Spirit Day, a collective effort to make a statement against bullying. People are wearing purple or adding purple tints to their profiles on facebook, twitter, etc. Please show your support.
http://www.glaad.org/spiritday
Ugh, why purple? Can't they pick a color I like?
That's an excellent point, skatinginbc. One need only to look at some of the more excitable posts here, on occasions when people let their emotions get the better of them. And we're pretty well behaved, and most of us are adults (plus we have very sensible moderators). It's easy to forget that you're talking to other actual breathing people at the other end, and kids often have much less ability to put themselves in someone else's shoes.
America is a funny hybrid of progressive and retro. It's edifying to remember that we were one of the last industrialized nations to give women the vote. (New Zealand was the first, in case anyone is interested—1893.) There were a whole host of countries that gave the vote around World War I. We didn't get the vote until 1920, when women in Latvia had had it for a year or so. Not to mention that we're "the land of the free," and we kept the institution of slavery going more than half a century after Britain had ended it. On the other hand, both our suffrage movement and the abolitionist movement dated from pretty early on, and there were many bold champions of both causes. We're not that easy to pigeonhole.
I agree that expectations toward gender behaviors seem less dichotomous in the Orient than in North America. What is considered neutral in the East can be seen as "effeminate" in the West.
I also think the Western "masculinity-centered" value system fosters a culture of bullying, at least in terms of accepting it as an inevitable part of life. Although bullying has no cultural boundary, it seems to me that there is more bullying going on in North America than in the oriental country where I grew up.
In the Asian country that I grew up in, we had bullying. However, we also had (and continue to have) teachers who were the final word on discipline at school. Sure, you can bully the other kids, but if they tell on you, or the teacher catches you, you are pretty much toast.
Good news. Johnny Weir tweeted in support of Spirit Day and Jeremy Abbott retweeted the message. That's something.
ETA: This thread has had nearly 1,900 views in just three days. Just discussing this issue openly can have a positive effect. Please keep the conversation going. If you find resources for kids in need, please post them. Every little bit helps. Who know if a lonely kid reading this thread may find some comfort from it's very existence.
Last edited by jcoates; 10-20-2011 at 04:06 PM.
Where are my Canadian role models?
In the midst of all this, may I just say that Jamie Hubley was a decent, kind and good kid who loved skating and who had a great family. My son skated with him and against him, and is devastated by this news. Let's not forget in all of this that a good kid has died.
a friend of a friend of mine's daughter also skated with Jamie and is devastated. She noted that even though Jamie ultimately felt alone he had a great support system in family and friends...
Who now will need support themselves...
agreed, Doris.
I came upon this article on the ABCNEWS' Good Morning America website: Bullied Figure Skater's Parents Sue School http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=126127&page=1
"12-year-old Aaron Vays has endured physical and verbal abuse from fellow students, simply because he's a boy who likes to skate," ABCNEWS said. And what was the school's response? "All the situations are minor, as opposed to what they would lead you to believe." said the School District. And it also implicitly placed blame on the victim for fighting back.
Why are there so many school-yard bullying scenes in the Simpsons? Why do Nelson, Jimbo, Dolph and Kearney never get disciplined for their bullying acts?
Too many of us sit quietly feeling sad, yet too few actually stand up and take actions.
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