Bullying MUST Stop!

Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand Forks

Edit: since writing this post, Facebook has determined the video I refer to violated their terms and conditions and therefore removed the video. The comments I refer to below were on the Facebook video post, and therefore are no longer viewable. At the time the video was removed, it had approximately 35,000 shares and nearly 5000 comments. 

Luckily, a local news station had already picked up the story and had posted the video on their site. I have linked to this news station now.

I stumbled on this video quite by accident today. And, I watched it. And I cried.

And then I read the comments. Yes, some were very supportive... offering prayers and kind words of support and comfort to this little girl and her family. But many berated the mother for being so callous as to post a video of her child crying. And some were just downright mean.

And, I cried even more.

Bullying is not a joke. It is not funny. And it is absolutely never okay.

Many comments suggested the mother pull Anna out of school. Home school her. Or, drive her to and from school. Now please don't get me wrong - I have nothing against home schooling. I respect those who are able to do so. And, I don't blame parents for choosing that route. But in a case like this, do you know what it does to a child to say she should be pulled out of school, and be given rides to and from school? Do you know what message that is giving the child?

You're saying what the bully is doing is okay. You're giving the bully permission to keep bullying. You're basically punishing the child for something that is not her fault.

Why should the victim have to make accommodations? Why should Anna be pulled away from her friends because of something someone else is responsible for doing to her?

Granted, yes, this course of action may stop the bullying of this one child. But she's not the only one being bullied. Should all our bullied children be yanked from the school system? Let our tax dollars go to supporting the education of the bullies only? Does this make sense?

Additionally, wouldn't this be teaching Anna (or any other child) to run away from problems, rather than face them? When she gets older, is she going to be bullied at work? Does she just put up with it or run away?

We're setting a horrible example for our children when we excuse the behavior of bullies, and sit back and do nothing. Yes, we want to protect our children. And that is what this mother is doing. They talked to the school. They've tried to put an end to this. Short of camping out on the Superintendent's doorstep, or getting violent herself, this mother has done what she can.

And now, she's putting it public. Good for her. She is teaching this little girl that she does not need to be walked on. She does not need to put up with it. She does not need to be a doormat for anyone.

And she's teaching her that there is support out there.

My prayers go out to this family, and to everyone out there who is being bullied or who has a child being bullied. And, my prayers go out to the bullies and the school system, and everyone who allows this kind of behavior that they be given wisdom to recognize the problem, and put a stop to it.

God bless!