Anti-Bully: A call to action.

Watch this Video before Reading.


The fact that this video was even necessary makes me sick; the fact that this kid had the courage and wisdom to make it makes me hopeful. To see such a young kid endure through what could only be described as a living tormenting hell on earth, only to face his fears and address the problem head on. It seems as if he is finally finding some meaning or purpose behind his pain, without those experiences he could not make this video and help spread the message. 

To those of you who watch this video, realize that this young broken and beaten child with tears in his eyes has not given up hope and has yet to admit defeat. It is his courage and character that we should strive to emulate. 

Remember, when fighting a battle against ignorance there is only one weapon, one tool that will have any effect; the tool is education. Just as a torch will bring light into a darkened world, so to will education bring enlightenment to the ignorant. So long as there is ignorance, there cannot be universal tolerance because no matter what, people will always be reticent to tolerate that which they do not understand. It doesn't take schools or governments or psychiatrists or social workers to fix this problem. In fact, on their own, they can't fix the issue of bullying and hate and bigotry. If you are wondering then, what might be the solution, who can possibly fix this epic problem, you need only look into a mirror. 

That's right, path to addressing this problem begins with the individual — it is the individual that must take a stand and vow to not house hatred and bigotry as well as educate others so that they to may work towards this goal. You may think that it's not your problem because you're not gay, not black, not handicapped, not nerdy, not ugly, not pretty, not muslim, not jewish, not catholic, not gypsy, not foreign, not different; the problem is that we are all different in some fashion, and yet we are all the same. Martin Niemöeller said it best when he said:

First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

But also in the words of yet another great man, a threat justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere; there is no justice to be had by staying silent and allowing this endemic to continue. Speak up and do you're part because at the end of the day, we are in this together.


But, you failed the mention one big part of 'hatred'. You stop bullying and hating others once you have ended the hatred for yourself. "When there are no enemies within; the enemies outside cannot hurt you". Whenever you choose to blatantly hate someone you don't know it is because that person is a symbol of threat to you. It sort of reminds me of the father in American Beauty. He hated homosexuals so blatantly because he himself was a homosexual male. He conditioned himself to hate what represented himself in others. We live in a society that doesn't want you to love yourself because many markets capitalize off of insecurities. Beauty industry tells you that you are ugly to buy make up, yadi yada etc. To not be long winded...loving yourself is the first step but it can be such a painful process it is easier to take your hate of yourself out on someone else - A comment from my friend Johanna.