Originally Posted by
steer
I'm a activist against bullying. It's the one thing I will stand up and not back down from. I'm 26 years old, I played sports all through elementary and high school, I knew everyone in school, and I tried socializing with everyone. However, I was always made fun of. I was called a man whore, slut, asshole, cry baby, little girl, and made fun of because I had "big ears", "ears stick out too far", "how's it going dumbo?". Did people notice it bothered me? NO. Did I talk to people about it? NO. Why? Because I was an athlete and we had a reputation of being tough and not letting anything bother us. But things did bother me, did I ever think about ending my life? Sure did. Things got so bad, they had to get better. I finally decided to stand up for myself in high school, and I did. People didn't know what to think. So, with their ignorance, they did the only thing they knew how.... more bullying. After standing up for myself, I was called a dick, a prick, asshole...just whatever, because I didn't take shit from anyone. And yes, I said shit, there is no other word that somes up what someone has to deal with when it comes to bullying, than shit.
After high school, I went to college and graduated. Went to the real world, worked my way into a decent job, but did the bullying start again? Sure did. This time, I talked to people. But their response "Oh, you're just too nice and need to look out for yourself and stop helping others"... really? Stop helping other people and being nice? So, I did that. I stopped helping others at work, watched out for myself, and where did that land me? More bullying from superiors. What happened? My boss would assign me four 12 hour shifts in a row, give me a day off, and 4 more. Or I'd get "yeah, you're 4 hours away right now, but if you're not here by 7pm, I'm going to have to demote you" Did I talk to others about it? Yep. Did they do anything? No. "Oh, he's just making sure you get your hours in for the week" (everyone on this board would be surprised at who this person was...it shocked me). So, what did I do this time? I just kept taking it, until I finally moved on and away, but not before I told that person how I felt and what I thought about them as a person and their so called 'god' they always referenced to me.
But then, something just happened, and it was literally over night.... I just said to myself, "I don't give a f*ck" and I haven't since. I don't care what anyone says about me. Say whatever you must, but words don't bother me at all. I am who I am, and I'm proud of who I am. I'm not going to change who I am, now, or ever.
But kids today, they're a whole different breed. Anything goes wrong, and they're automatically pushed to see a therapist and get on some type of medication. Oh, your kid has anxiety issues, we'll have to talk to him. When in reality, the kid is gay, and needs someone to talk about dealing with that. It's not so much the kids faults for what they're labelings are, it's adults. Adults are the roots for all bullying amongst people. Period.
I think kids who bully others into suicide, should be charge with some form of manslaughter. Kids can only take so much before they break. We live in a digital world, where information can spread fast. This is why things are so different now. When I was in high school, you couldn't post on the internet and have 15 million people read it in 30 minutes. But now, a kid can post on facebook and it can spiral out of control and be read by an entire 3000 person school within minutes. Then that kid has to deal with that, and they see their only way out is death. That's sad, but it's a harsh reality we live in. No, don't twist this, social media isn't killing or cause all these deaths by suicide. It's like saying "McDonald's kills us", no, people kill people....or they drive them so looney, they do it themselves.
Like I said, I'm an activist against bullying. It's horrible and needs to stop. It needs to be handled more severely and dealt with quickly. When 13 year old kids are committing suicide, things need to happen. Sure, throw some blame on the parents, but the kid is 13, and at 13...NONE of us really put time into thinking anything out. We were untouchable at 13, and just acted. So, don't blame the 13 year old for pulling that trigger or whatever method they did. Blame that bully for pushing that kid to the edge, and then pushing them over. One thing you can never do, is make someone realize what you want them to realize. They are never going to do it. You just have to show people, of all ages, that there is always tomorrow and in faith comes peace. Not everyone will like you, but that probably means there are a million others who adore you. We all have scars, yes at all ages, don't let your scares wear you down. Wear your scars proudly and be who, you were born to be. I am who I am. I will always be this person and I'm fine with that. If you don't like me, what I stand for you, or what I believe in, please, there are a billion other people you can meet.
If anyone on this board ever feels bullied, please don't hesitate to send me a message on here. I'm always up for chatting and helping.
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