Today there is a summit at the nation’s capital, with President Obama and Michelle Obama, who have gathered leaders of education, students, parents, educators, policy makers, leaders of youth-focused non-profit groups, and family experts to look at the serious, often critical, sometimes lethal issue of bullying. The epidemic of cruelty among youth is much more serious than when I was young. It is easy for us to forget the trouble of youth, and easier to assume it is no worse than when we were there–“Kids tease, sometimes fight…we did, what’s the big deal?” It is a huge deal, with constant communication via text and cell phone and facebook and Twitter, rumors and cruelty pass from person to person like wildfire, and a victim is defenseless against the barrage. Children are killing themselves because it is so hopeless. When a child makes a thoughtful and considered decision to reach for a rope or gun or pills, trying to get through day-to-day before that…we know we are broken as a society that stands for our young people.
The White House Conference on Bullying Prevention is going on today, and is accessible via those same means that spread the hate among some kids: facebook and the Internet. Use electronica for healing, listen in to the conversation, participate remotely, and be involved in making youth a nurturing time. Being unique and different is a wonderful asset to society–we have to make sure kids know that being different is something to be wished for, never punished.
Change by Doing 
Posted by Brad Fallon on March 10, 2011 at 10:51 AM
Very nice move and a very nice post. Thanks for sharing this one. Keep it up.