Greetings Angry Angels!
Welcome to our Anger Management Session! I hope that you are ready for a great topic today and that you are well rested. It's been a great day so far celebrating Angry Woman's birthday so I'm all charged up and ready to vent!
Last week we spoke about a bullying incident that led to the bully actually getting killed http://angryamericanman.blogspot.com/2012/01/out-with-old.html. While this is far from the norm, it does show that regardless of who is doing the bullying and who is the bullied, there can be very far ranging tragic consequences of these types of behaviors.
Recently there has been a peak in teen suicides and a good amount of studies are showing a link between bullying and depression and suicide. If you want to read more about them please feel free to visit the American Psychological Associations website and look at some of their reports and links http://www.apa.org/topics/bullying/index.aspx
Now when I was growing up the big rage to blame teen suicide was on music, specifically the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. The Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) was founded by Tipper Gore and her like-minded nanny-state morons and all of a sudden I've got stickers all over my albums (yes vinyl for those of you who remember them!) and suicide counselors on stand by in the high school.
After a while the furor died down, law suits against musicians were ultimately tossed and most of us went on our way. We all seemed to forget about the suicides and how really devastating they are on a community and a family. That was of course well back before the internet and mass media became what it is today facilitating rapid and global dissemination of news and opinion.
So now we, my Angry Angels, have a rise in teenage suicides again, this time focused within the LGBT community, and due at least in part to harassment and bullying. Now if you want to reread the post listed above you will get a really good idea on how PISSED OFF it makes me for any child to be victimized while adults, especially teachers, ignore the problem or down play their own roles and responsibilities.
I really thought that I had reached my own peak of anger until I read an article out of Tennessee. Apparently there is a group of ass-hats down Tennessee way calling themselves "Family Action Council of Tennessee" who think that there should be exceptions to anti-bullying laws. The Family Action Council's President, David Fowler, a former Republican state senator has gone on record as saying that any anti-bullying laws need to protect the free speech rights of those who want to express their views on homosexuality and "not create special classes of people who are more important than others."
Now I'm sorry but as I consider myself somewhat of a conservative, but did my head just fucking explode from the sheer idiocy of this statement? Excuse me Dave, but you think that RELIGION is now an excuse for bullying if the victims are GAY? So you approve of creating a special class that YOU belong to in order to protect your narrow minded views but not to PROTECT people from your narrow minded views?
So bullying should not be a crime if it's claimed as a "religious" view point. Hmm. So to follow that along then, since we aren't creating special classes if a group of gay Episcopalians bullied your child into suicide because of his straight and narrow (no doubt inherited from you Dave) that wouldn't be a crime either right? Or how about if a group of Muslims bullied your child into suicide because he doesn't believe in Allah, that wouldn't be a crime either would it?
You know what REALLY makes me fucking ANGRY though? Is that this shit for brains feels perfectly justified in excusing the death of an American child in order to spout his own brand of bigotry. We have talked a little bit about this before Angels and you know I have ZERO tolerance for people like this schmuck who want to be a little bit more equal than others because of their belief in their own superiority.
Now I'm not going to make this into a gay rights blog or anything of the sort, but I fully support Chris Sanders of the Tennessee Equality Project in saying that this type of legislation condones hate through a specious religious sanction. Teaching kids to hate and to bully is fucking ridiculous. It's not enough that they have to go through the dangers of growing up in the first place, but we have fuckers like Dave who want to turn our schools into killing fields? I don't really give a damn about who is being bullied, or who is doing the bullying. Protect our kids goddammit!! I'm talking to all the school administrators, I'm talking to the coaches, I'm talking to the priests, scout leaders and especially to the other parents. AND I'm talking to our legislators!!
Oh did you guys think you were going to get a pass on this one? Not a chance on your fucking lives!! Now back in 2010 the Feds stepped up their game and warned that "if school administrators fail to properly deal with harassment based on gender, race or other issues, they risk being cited for contributing to a pattern of civil rights violations that could, in extreme cases, lead to a cut in federal funding." This from a CNN report from August of 2010. Personally I would like to see the wording stepped back and rather than the ACLU and the LGBT groups making it their issue how about we make it a KIDS issue. How about we protect ALL THE KIDS?? HUH? You think THAT would make sense and make schools worth going to?
Recently there has been a peak in teen suicides and a good amount of studies are showing a link between bullying and depression and suicide. If you want to read more about them please feel free to visit the American Psychological Associations website and look at some of their reports and links http://www.apa.org/topics/bullying/index.aspx
Now when I was growing up the big rage to blame teen suicide was on music, specifically the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. The Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) was founded by Tipper Gore and her like-minded nanny-state morons and all of a sudden I've got stickers all over my albums (yes vinyl for those of you who remember them!) and suicide counselors on stand by in the high school.
After a while the furor died down, law suits against musicians were ultimately tossed and most of us went on our way. We all seemed to forget about the suicides and how really devastating they are on a community and a family. That was of course well back before the internet and mass media became what it is today facilitating rapid and global dissemination of news and opinion.
So now we, my Angry Angels, have a rise in teenage suicides again, this time focused within the LGBT community, and due at least in part to harassment and bullying. Now if you want to reread the post listed above you will get a really good idea on how PISSED OFF it makes me for any child to be victimized while adults, especially teachers, ignore the problem or down play their own roles and responsibilities.
I really thought that I had reached my own peak of anger until I read an article out of Tennessee. Apparently there is a group of ass-hats down Tennessee way calling themselves "Family Action Council of Tennessee" who think that there should be exceptions to anti-bullying laws. The Family Action Council's President, David Fowler, a former Republican state senator has gone on record as saying that any anti-bullying laws need to protect the free speech rights of those who want to express their views on homosexuality and "not create special classes of people who are more important than others."
Now I'm sorry but as I consider myself somewhat of a conservative, but did my head just fucking explode from the sheer idiocy of this statement? Excuse me Dave, but you think that RELIGION is now an excuse for bullying if the victims are GAY? So you approve of creating a special class that YOU belong to in order to protect your narrow minded views but not to PROTECT people from your narrow minded views?
So bullying should not be a crime if it's claimed as a "religious" view point. Hmm. So to follow that along then, since we aren't creating special classes if a group of gay Episcopalians bullied your child into suicide because of his straight and narrow (no doubt inherited from you Dave) that wouldn't be a crime either right? Or how about if a group of Muslims bullied your child into suicide because he doesn't believe in Allah, that wouldn't be a crime either would it?
You know what REALLY makes me fucking ANGRY though? Is that this shit for brains feels perfectly justified in excusing the death of an American child in order to spout his own brand of bigotry. We have talked a little bit about this before Angels and you know I have ZERO tolerance for people like this schmuck who want to be a little bit more equal than others because of their belief in their own superiority.
Now I'm not going to make this into a gay rights blog or anything of the sort, but I fully support Chris Sanders of the Tennessee Equality Project in saying that this type of legislation condones hate through a specious religious sanction. Teaching kids to hate and to bully is fucking ridiculous. It's not enough that they have to go through the dangers of growing up in the first place, but we have fuckers like Dave who want to turn our schools into killing fields? I don't really give a damn about who is being bullied, or who is doing the bullying. Protect our kids goddammit!! I'm talking to all the school administrators, I'm talking to the coaches, I'm talking to the priests, scout leaders and especially to the other parents. AND I'm talking to our legislators!!
Oh did you guys think you were going to get a pass on this one? Not a chance on your fucking lives!! Now back in 2010 the Feds stepped up their game and warned that "if school administrators fail to properly deal with harassment based on gender, race or other issues, they risk being cited for contributing to a pattern of civil rights violations that could, in extreme cases, lead to a cut in federal funding." This from a CNN report from August of 2010. Personally I would like to see the wording stepped back and rather than the ACLU and the LGBT groups making it their issue how about we make it a KIDS issue. How about we protect ALL THE KIDS?? HUH? You think THAT would make sense and make schools worth going to?
And how about rather than just cutting funding, because really who does that hurt, how about we start holding administrators of the schools and the perpetrators equally responsible and make it a federal children's civil rights crime. Who gets hurt if the funding gets cut? Certainly not the union protected teachers!! So who get's the shit end of the stick? Your ANGRY kids do, who incidentally are mandated that they attend these government institutions. So the next time you get up in a politicians face and you get a shithead response from an idiot like Michelle "It's Not a Federal Issue" Bachmann you tell her to get on the same page or get the hell out of office. The government makes our kids go to their schools, learn what they want to teach, and subject them to falling standards and now excepted bullying and we are supposed to sit back and take it?
You know who is responsible my ANGRY ANGELS!! All our kids are equal and deserve equal protection under the law. I don't care your race, creed, orientation, or religious bent. Equal means EQUAL. Let your representatives know, lets your school board know, let your neighbors and everyone else know: Equal means equal.
While you are doing that I strongly suggest a great website
http://www.bullypolice.org/ founded by Brenda High. I came across the site while researching this moron from Tennessee and I am sure I will be referencing their materials in the future.
That wraps up our session for today Angels! Group session #2 tomorrow so keep the emails and feedback coming in.
GRRRRR!
The problem with anti-bullying laws, though, is the same as any other that attempts to regulate behavior - the behavior is often not defined in any specific way, therefore allowing broad interpretation and eventually frivolous lawsuits tying up the courts and unwitting perpetrators because anyone call anything that happened to them bullying.
ReplyDeleteThat's not to say there shouldn't be some way to punish bad behavior but!1. It needs to be clearly defined what constitutes bullying and 2. Existing harassment laws should be checked. There are many. I suspect this politician just wanted to ensure that some kid simply stating he thinks homosexuality is wrong, because of his religion, can't be thrown in the slammer and sued for bullying. After all, freedom of religion is in fact a Constitutional guarantee.
Thanks for the comment! I agree with you that most of these laws are quite broad in aspect and do need to be clearly defined.
DeleteHowever what we REALLY need are administrators and teachers who are held responsible for their actions, or in-actions, in their schools and classrooms. Of course that will never happen though because of the stranglehold teachers unions have on every community in the US. If public schooling is federally mandated and we are taxed for public education, whether or not our kids attend public schools, then anyone teaching at a public school should be considered a federal employee and the teachers unions should be abolished. This will prevent administrators such as Joy Epstein who allowed the McInerney-King tragedy to happen from being protected by the corrupt union.
It's all about being held accountable, equally, under the law. Unfortunately this politician isn't about being held accountable, what he is suggesting is a level of correctness in his views versus everyone else's and that criminal acts should be accepted and excused based on a religious belief.
In a public school, say in Detroit where there is a HUGE Muslim population, would the verbal assault of a christian girl that resulted in suicide be excepted under laws like this because the perpetrators believed, as their religion states, that she should be completely covered in a burqua or is otherwise a sinner?
There is a difference between having a religious belief and violating someone else's rights. Freedom of religion is a Constitutional guarantee and the government shall not establish a mandated religion. That was one of the reasons Roger Williams bailed on Massachusetts and founded the colony that would become Rhode Island. What David Fowler is attempting to do not only undermines freedom of religion by excepting one over the other, but also attempts to establish government endorsement of such. So if the law endorses the rights of one religious group to commit criminal harassment of another group, where does that leave freedom of religion?
Don't use our kids and our elementary and high schools as combatants and fields of battle.